Addiction, Adolescence, and Suicide: A Short Exploration

Addictive behaviour heralds some underlying challenges that one seeks to suppress, ignore, or forget completely. It is an attempt to self-diagnose and self-prognose one’s struggles. Unfortunately, these attempts can spiral out of control and can result in suicidal ideation. Hence, investigating how addiction and suicide overlap, especially among young minds. Closely related to addiction and suicide is the yearning for positive human relationships. This is because humans are inherently social beings and instinctively interact to form bonds and relationships. The current technological explosion has redefined the conception or perception of social interaction which makes it more formidable and demanding to belong to a social niche or trendy hub (especially with issues around radicalization, misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation). However, teenagers always want to wear the emblem of social belonging and have a feeling of inclusion even if it requires them to sacrifice their personal convictions and identities.

Suicide is a “negative-revered-topic” that is never discussed but it subtly conveys contempt, disdain and hatred. When young folks commit suicide, it is indeed worrisome because they are young souls full of potentials and no one knows what height they could reach. However, rather than condemn their actions, it is time to examine the rationale to their actions which can be garnered from their suicide notes. Young adults are social beings who crave social inclusion desperately and are willing to mask their true identity to gain acceptance and popular consent. While the yearnings for this sense of belonging and social fraternity are essential, it should not erode self-worth and perceptions which would spiral into depression, suicidal ideation and suicidal actions. Younger folks should know true friendship means acceptance and should not try to sacrifice their true identity for anything.

The teenage year is a critical year where soul searching, critical questions are asked and conventions and dogmas are interrogated, questioned, and flagrantly repulsed. This is part of the process of development as teenagers respond to physiological changes, social and peer influences which seems strange to them, this is not the time to exchange anger for their innocent dispositions but to hear them out and sincerely answer their questions without judgment or condemnations. Parents and guardians must teach their children and wards selflove which translate to loving them unconditionally, be ready to invite confidence with their children and be willing to entertain their perceptions, views, and opinions which might not be well-formed, or mature but active listening is the first stage of change. Schools should discuss this taboo topic and provide adequate awareness about the existence of suicide with constant suicide watch on students who show signs of suicidal behavior. The media should discuss this topic by having sessions with former suicidal attempters who have moved past their suicidal behaviors. In some settings, having suicide talks or talking about suicide is received with negative reactions which explain why people with suicidal ideation refuse to disclose it or seek professional help. Similarly, having counseling sessions to discuss matters that touch the heart is stigmatizing as some might have this erroneous conception that those who go for counseling are weak individuals who cannot face the problems of life. The fears and inadequacies of such people could spiral into suicide. Since the world is digitalized, there should be online support groups for people with suicidal ideation to air their thoughts and find support and necessary guidance.

More importantly we must be one another’s neighbor so as to be on the lookout for suicidal signs and report accordingly. Teenagers and young adults are delicate individuals who struggle to find their own voice and authorial identity and crave desperately an unlimited inclusion for in-group identity. The teenage years are a delicate, sensitive and crucial time for an individual as it is a time for shaping their personalities and deciding what they want to become. It is a period of “permissible experimentation” where they conflate between wide arrays of voices dictating who they want to be. At this stage, the decisions teenagers make might not necessarily be a true reflection of themselves but an attempt at discovering themselves and finding a footing for themselves. While parents are expected to have minimal oversight at this stage, parental guidance and friendship are really fundamental because once they get confused or are at a crossroads they can seek the guidance of their friends whose trust and respect they have earned. This emphasizes that victims of suicidal behavior might experience hidden and repressed crises and psychological trauma that can be life changing/altering.

Friendship and social inclusion are the recurrent issues surrounding young adolescent suicide. These “trivial” issues have impugned the self-identity and voices of these young minds which is further heightened by societal stereotypes and the supremacist perception of what these issues should mean. Teenagers are usually rebellious and usually assert their voices by doing what they feel is right. While this position might be difficult for some to understand, I feel being empathetic is preferable than attending a funeral. Open discussions on suicide are important to eliminate the stigma and secrecy shrouding this discourse and help people with suicidal ideations find help and move past their suicidal phase.