What's behind the thinking and feeling experiences of female teenagers that's associated with the narrative that their reality is a living hell ? How can our children be considered our greatest resource, when nearly 1/3 of female high school students considered suicide and nearly 60% were reported to have felt sad and hopelessness in 2021 ? Note, in one study, suicide thinking is more common among teenagers who said they did not identify as heterosexual, and had sexual partners of the same sex, or both sexes.. Also, how can we be the greatest country in the world, if suicides are one indication of the degree of mental illness in our country. This disquisition addresses female teenage suicide.
The existentialists maintain that sapiens are irrational. Man attempts to find meaning, knowing and understanding in a world which is contradictory, ambiguous, unknowing and absurd. In fact, Kierkegaard suggests that belief in God means the absence of reason ; man creates fictions and false narratives during his lifetime and has emotional underpinnings that limits logic Freud saw sapiens driven by the interplay for survival or Eros and the aggression of sadomasochism and death or Thanatos. Statistically,in the year 2000, death from violent crimes totaled about 520,000, and suicides around 815,000. In 2002 violent crimes increased to 569,000 and deaths from suicide to 873,000. In 2024, one poll reported that 71% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, suggesting that one's perceptions both subjectively and objectively, is of a troubled society or a high degree of irrationality .
More specifically , an overview ot normal adolescent development provides some clues as to why there is an increase in suicidal ideation, suicide, depression and anxiety. First, a few factors of adolescent development include the following: 1. Growth or development toward being physically mature 2. Growth and development toward a mature cognitive capacity. 3. Ego Identity formation or identity diffusion that's related to certainty or uncertainty regarding oneself. and experimenting with roles. Some female GOP role model females express verbal abuse, anger, hate , irrationality and prejudice. 4. Occupational choices. School curriculums , teachers, librarians, administrators and school boards are under attack, Teachers are stressed and being threatened and are leaving the profession. Teaching does not provide at this time a terrific educational and professional career path for females. Colleges of education are experiencing less applicants.
Emotionally, depression is significantly associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. It’s apparent that there Is no one cause for depression but many factors have been identified that increases the likelihood that someone will develop symptoms of major depressive disorder..Research has found that the biochemistry of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin the pleasure, reward and behavior neurotransmitters are reduced with depression.
It's important not to overlook suicides with other sociocultural factors . A few to consider include the following:1. Being Asian, Catholic, Wasp ,Jewish or Black 2. Intellectually superior with pressure to attend the "right" University or academically struggling because of school absence during Covid -19 or just not attending school. Being especially talented in sports , music, or none of the above;.Bing attractive, popular or perceived being unattractive and not popular 3. Family structure-Being adopted ,foster care, fatherless ,parental death , divorce, only child. 4.Handicaps of being chronically ill , diabetes, obesity, asthmatic 5.Syndromes-Affective Disorder ,MBD, school phobia, masculinity or femininity issues ,anorexia,,deprivation ,exploitation, sexual, physical or, substance abuse 6. Excessive dependency with smartphones and social media apps use
Although we don't have enough data regarding psychological autopsy of successful suicides, one study reported the following of male and female teens pertaining to suicide feelings : 1. Thoughts were present during the past year by 70% in the study 2. 3.5% stated that life was not worthwhile 3. 2.8% wished for death 4. 1%thought of actual suicide 5. 0.6% made a suicide attempt. It was also reported that these young males and females experienced depression; recently stressful events, somatic illnesses, were socially isolated and more likely to be female.
Sapiens are irrational and fill their minds with mythology finding reasons for anything irrespective of relevancy . For example, suicide among female teenagers might be a trend going in the wrong direction. The attitude toward suicide has changed dramatically in our country. Years ago, Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sent to prison for assisting individuals in taking their life. Nowadays, 10 states have legalized assisted suicide. suggesting a political, legal , moral and ethical attitudinal shift.
Also, suicide by overdose for males and females have increased from 2020 through 2021. In 2020, a total of 106,699 deaths occurred in our country. Over the past ½ century countless Icons, legends, celebrities,role models have lost their lives. as a result of drug overdose and include . Morrison, Hendrix , Joplin, Scott, Cobain,Jackson, Winehouse ,Houston. In the young minds of female teenagers, suicide has become more permissible and a position of status,
Suicide is a hostile act. It may represent Oedipal issues related to loss of father ,disturbed relationship with mother and being an expendable child ; inability to control exaggerated aggressive feelings and fulfilling self punishment guilt feelings with a desire to punish those that grieve . As well as thoughts about hurting, killing parents and siblings ; failed romance,rejection by boyfriend , family or siblings. Clearly , one message is I don't want anything to do with you ; I don’t have to interact with you, and you can go to hell.
Socrates ``Know Thyself" is just one example of a Sapien illusion. We "believe" that intelligence, morality and identity are developmental according to Piaget Kohlbeg and Erikson . Heidegger stated " Anxiety is the source of everything." With that being said, for a teen to determine and act upon the question, “Is life worth living or a confession that life is not worth the trouble, but is ,in fact ,a solution “ suggests that death is an absurd and irrational reason. Furthermore, we don't have a personal experience of death. In other words, without full development of intelligence, morality, capacity or identity and being at the mercy of one's emotions , found in the Mamilian brain, suggests that deciding on hope or death, teenagers committing suicide are short sighted irrespective of their story..
Too many adolescent females have continued to engage in suicide. Why no outrage? These female teens remind me of Sisyphus. Sisyphus angered the gods and they got their revenge when they condemned him by punishing him relentlessly , actually for him, seeking revenge .He pursued unconditional and committed love. He was conscious of his wretched miserable condition with such boundless grief and futility . Was his fate created by his actions or was it out of his control and the result of some irrationality or excessive pettiness like angering the gods?
PS
FYI, a philosophy professor's book "How Not to Kill Yourself A Portrait of the Suicidaal Mind," was reviewed in the April 30, 2023 edition of The New York Times. This professor survived 10 suicide attempts.
About 50 years ago, I was taking a two day qualifying exam in Los Angeles to practice the art of psychology. After the first day, of testing , I was in my hotel room and heard commotion outside the door. Police were engaged with a woman who had locked her door and was talking about suicide. I opened the door, and introduced myself as a psychologist. Within seconds, I was talking with this woman in the hallway about her suicide. Unbeknownst to me, the police entered her room from the outside window.. No suicide.
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