In this episode, Roy continues discussing the epidemic of teenage suicide by focusing on what adults can do when they recognize the signs that indicate a young person is contemplating suicide. Roy encourages adults to broach the subject with teens by first asking permission to discuss the issue, which allows teens to feel a measure of trust and security with the adult. Even resistant teens will be inclined to at least listen to what an adult has to say about suicide using this method.
Roy stresses that adults working with or parenting teens must understand that broaching the subject of teen suicide does not cause it to happen, but rather, exposes it to healthy discussion and most often, prevention. Roy explains that adults must work through their own discomfort to help reach today's teens, who are struggling with tremendous anxiety and stress. These struggles, Roy points out, are not getting any easier or diminishing for teens and are to blame for the high rate of teen suicide today.
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Roy has established Today's Teenager as a non-profit organization dedicated to covering the expenses of therapy sessions and other mental health services for teens and families that would otherwise be unable to afford them. Visit todaysteenager dot com for more information.