Just last week while in Nashville, Tennessee, I was shocked to hear about one of my best friend’s sons who died by suicide. His name is Joey. The teen was just 14 years-old when he hung himself.

It’s hard to believe! But, suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10 to 18.

That’s not surprising to Dr. Matthew Stanley of Avera Behavioral Health Center in Sioux Falls.

“What I found with young people is it’s very hard for them to open up. I think you have to repeat that message and continue to ask. Sometimes it’s at the right moment or opportunity. It’s frightening with adolescents! As a parent myself and someone who works with many parents---by the very nature of their youth they can be very impulsive.”

Dr. Stanley says one incident can trigger suicide thoughts among teens.

“What happens if the girlfriend breaks up and the boy is already down. What happens if the coach chews out a teen player and he feels the team lost because of him. There are a lot of things that go on with kids. I think sometimes as adults we forget how intense the emotions are in that age group.”

Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,200 suicide attempts by young people grades 7 to 12. Joey was one of them!

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