Mental Illness, Self-harm and Suicide Among Teens in Society

Presented by Rebecca Gogal

Statistics More than 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide

9.7 percent of Americans have a mood disorder, such as depression

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide

About 80 percent of people diagnosed with major depression can be treated and return to their usual activities and feelings

3.8 percent of the population has a substance use disorder

More than 25 percent of adults with a mental illness have a co-occurring substance dependence or abuse

14-24 percent of youth and young adults have self-injured at least once

4 percent of adults occasionally self-injure

Males and females report similar rates of self-injury

About 20 percent of Americans have an anxiety disorder

The two most common types of anxiety disorders are specific phobias and Social Anxiety Disorder.

Many people with anxiety disorders use alcohol and drugs to self-medicate THESE STATISTICS ALL COME DIRECTLY FROM TWLOHA.COM

How Mental Illness/Depression Works in the Brain

Chemicals are involved though not as simple as an imbalance

Multiple chemicals are involved Millions – even billions of chemicals are

responsible for mood regulation Genes have been identified that make individuals

more vulnerable to low moods and influence how individuals respond to treatments such as drug therapy

One day these discoveries should lead to more individualized treatment but these advances are years away

Developing and Dealing with Self-harm

Self-injury is the deliberate harming of one’s body › Cutting, burning, hitting, biting, ingesting or embedding foreign objects into

the body, hair pulling, and interfering with the healing of wounds. Research shows that, often, self-injury is used as a maladaptive coping mechanism to deal with intense emotions

Usually triggered by the onset of depression or a traumatic life event

Although the ongoing persistence of the same event on a daily basis can also be a cause

Self-harm does not always but can manifest enough to develop into the desire and/or intent to commit suicide.› Suicide, or intentionally taking one’s life, is complex; it involves

psychological, social, biological, cultural, and environmental factors. People who are suicidal may talk a lot about death, withdraw from friends, give away prized possessions, become more reckless and impulsive, or express hopelessness. Suicide is preventable; talking about it does not cause someone to become suicidal, but rather, could actually save their life.

Teenage Suicide In 1996, more teenagers and young adults died of suicide

than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease combined.

In 1996, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among college students, the third-leading cause of death among those aged 15 to 24 years, and the fourth- leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 14 years.

From 1980 to 1996, the rate of suicide among African-American males aged 15 to 19 years increased by 105 percent.

It is a hopeful sign that while the incidence of suicide among adolescents and young adults nearly tripled from 1965 to 1987, teen suicide rates in the past ten years have actually been declining, possibly due to increased recognition and treatment.

These statistics from: www.nami.org

TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS

“We all wake to the human condition. We wake to mystery and beauty, but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain. Millions of homes are filled with questions—moments, and seasons, and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know pain is very real. It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real and help is real.” –To Write Love On Her Arms

From Someone Whose Been There

Music is a safe place and Pedro is her favorite. It hits me that she won't see this skyline for several weeks, and we will be without her. I lean forward, knowing this will be written, and I ask what she'd say if her story had an audience. She smiles. "Tell them to look up. Tell them to remember the stars."

RENEE YOHE

RENEE PUBLISHED HER JOURNALS & THERE IS A MOVIE ABOUT HER STORY

Support from the Music Industry Support from the music industry has intensified in the years that I’ve been a part of it. Saying a band or a bassist or lead vocalist in particular has saved your life wasn’t always the way the world worked in this industry. Some argue that it’s too much now – that there isn’t any sincerity left in it. I disagree. Whatever the negatives are, I don’t think there are enough to outweigh the positives.

People such as Austin Carlile (lead vocalist from Of Mice & Men) and Ben Bruce (guitarist of Asking Alexandria) reach out to fans through music – both bands in entirety do. In some ways I think musicians have made more strides in the direction of support and recovery than most professionals have.

Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides

Salvation Through Passion, Understanding and Acceptance

Part of the problem in treating those dealing with mental illness is the lack of understanding – not in science but in support

Without the proper avenues made available or known to those suffering they turn to other devices

Show them passion and understanding and acceptance – show them although we don’t have the answers they are not alone

All someone needs is to believe in themselves and their own strength - to be told they will not become another statistic

Olivia Penpraze

R.I.P Olivia 3.4.12

Olivia Penpraze’s story is a tragic one. She was around the age of 16 and living in Australia. She suffered from depression, and psychosis among many other demons. Her story is one that touched not only the lead singer of post-hardcore San Diego native band Pierce The Veil but the fans as well. In the midst of her tragic loss she became something that united us all.

Vic on Olivia Penpraze Artisan News

caught up with Vic Fuentes of Pierce The Veil in the midst of their Winter 2012 headlining tour in support of their record Collide With The Sky where he spoke about Olivia.

Artisan News interviews Vic Fuentes

The Suicide Sign

Carlos Navarro – creator of the “Suicide Sign”

Tumblr: carloslovesyou.tumblr.comIG: http://instagram.com/carlitos_n/IG 2: http://instagram.com/thesuicidesign

Carlos Navarro is not in a band and yet he is famous in the hardcore music scene. The story of how he came to the decision to create the infamous “Suicide Sign” can be found on his tumblr. Carlos tours and travels with bands as their merch person and takes this sign with him. While on tour when he has the time and isn’t working he’ll take this sign and photograph well known front men, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc. holding it and post it to the IG also listed below the photo to the left. To me it’s the most honest campaign to hit the scene in a long time.

The sign reads: “Suicide does not end the chances of life getting worse. Suicide eliminates the possibility of it ever getting better.”

Words of HOPE from today’s HEROESAlex Gaskarth – All Time Low

“I want you to f****** pinky promise me you won’t do it. No fan of mine will kill themselves. Don’t do it; for me. I love you.” – Alex Gaskarth

Alex Gaskarth is the front man of All Time Low; he sings lead vocals and plays guitar.

All Time Low is a band I’ve seen many times over the years and while their live show is usually full of inappropriate jokes concerning human anatomy don’t let that fool you – sincerity and seriousness can be found laced in their words. Alex is a master lyricist and one of my all time favorites when it comes to the art of song writing.

‘Therapy’ – a well known and emotional song for the fans – he says is about “every kids nightmare where everyone is telling you that you need to get help when all you really need is a hug”.

Oliver Sykes – Bring Me The Horizon

Oliver Sykes is the front man of one of the biggest bands in the scene at the moment – Bring Me The Horizon. He handles lead screaming and clean vocals.

After being gone for a few years BMTH came back with an amazingly raw album ‘Sempiternal’ which took them to the main stage at Warped and is due to be supported in the beginning of 2014 on a US headlining tour.

Oliver’s openness about his self-harm and drug and alcohol addiction is what makes him so relatable for his fans and can be seen clearly in the lyrics he writes.

“Have you ever too a blade to your wrist? Or have you been skipping meals? We’re gonna try something new today. How does that make you feel?” – Hospital For Souls by Bring Me The Horizon

Jenna McDougall – Tonight Alive

Jenna McDougall is the front woman for the Sydney, Australia born band Tonight Alive. She handles the lead vocals.

She was unofficially the first band member to support the “Suicide Sign” having tweeted Carlos’ quote shortly after he debuted the globally traveling piece of cardboard. Just like Oli of BMTH, Jenna’s honesty about her struggle with an eating disorder is something fans find solace in. It only proves that their heroes are just as human as they are.

Personally I have seen her talking with a fan where as they were about to walk away she stopped them and pointed to the scars on their arms and said, “I’m glad to see these are healing up and not fresh.”

It was honestly one of the most touching things I’ve ever seen.

“I stand before my weakness now.” – The Ocean by Tonight Alive

Phil Manansala – Of Mice & Men

Phil Manansala is one of the five faces that make up hardcore act Of Mice & Men; he is one of two guitarists in the band.

Of Mice & Men is quite possibly a band that fans are most passionate about and inspired by – most the hype due to front man Austin Carlile. But Phil is no less of an inspiration because he doesn’t hold a mic.

Having met this band several times I can personally say how inspiring each of them are, especially Phil. They say we’re family and that we aren’t alone. Sometimes a band is the only family a kid thinks they have.

The band has just released pre-orders for their fourth full length album ‘Restoring Force’ which is to be dropped on January 28th 2014. They are, ironically, the direct supporting act for the BMTH headliner taking place after the new year. The first single off the album – ‘You’re Not Alone’ – is a direct message from the band to the fans.

“Look inside of yourself ‘cause the power’s in you. There is always hope. You’re not alone anymore.”- You’re Not Alone by Of Mice & Men

Victor Fuentes – Pierce The Veil

Vic Fuentes is a man I can talk about for days; the amount of passion he has for what he does is indescribable and I could never repay him for the amount of times he’s been so gracious to me.

Vic has been very affected by the stories he hears while on the road – Pierce The Veil’s breakout album ‘Collide With The Sky’ was “inspired by the fans” he says. Almost every time the band is on stage that is something Vic takes time to say. Although his lyrics are sometimes dark they never suggest that all is lost; Pierce The Veil is not a band that perpetuates suicide and self-harm. They do whatever they can to fight against it.

Their song ‘Hold On Till May’ was quickly adopted as a fan favorite due to a set of lyrics many fans cling to when they don’t know what else to do.

A link can be found below of Vic speaking on stage about music saving lives during the Collide With The Sky tour.

“Put your fist the in air if music has ever saved your life.”

“If I were you I’d put that away, see you’re just wasted and thinking ‘bout the past again – darling you’ll be okay.” – Hold On Till May by Pierce The Veil

CHANGE IS THE ONLY OPTIONTHIS IS REAL. IT IS NOT JUST A CRY FOR ATTENTION. IT IS NOT SOMETHING KIDS CAN JUST “GET OVER”. IT IS NOT A PHASE

TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN IF SOME NEEDS YOU TO. SHOW THEM A BAND OR A BOOK OR ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF THAT CAN GIVE THEM HOPE.

SHOW THEM THESE QUOTES – TELL THEM ABOUT TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS – SHOW THEM THEY ARE NOT ALONE.

BE PART OF THIS CHANE AND THE HOPE - YOU MAY JUST SAVE A LIFE.

STOP THE BLEEDING.RESUCE IS POSSIBLE.LOVE IS THE MOVEMENT. - TWLOHA