It’s time to talk about suicide and youth!
In the United States, behavioural health crisis – a term referring to both mental and substance use disorders – has been on the rise for more than 2 decades, with significant numbers coming from the youth! Between 2009 and 2020, the United States saw a 30% increase in the national age-adjusted suicide rate.
Attempted suicide higher than pre-pandemic levels
By the winter of 2021, the weekly rate of ER visits by teenagers who attempted suicide was 39% higher than pre-pandemic levels. The average rate for adolescent girls had increased by 50% over the previous year.
“In the past month, we have treated far too many families who have lost a loved one to suicide and a handful of failed suicide attempt clients,” says Kerry Rudman, from Brain Harmonics. Brain Harmonics is a neurofeedback organisation specialising in retraining brains.
Suicide and youth – Depression and anxiety
“The number of clients that we are seeing post covid who are experiencing depression and anxiety has risen substantially and more alarmingly, the significant increase of suicidal kids and teenagers is of grave concern. Many of the teenagers that we are helping, find it very difficult to express their feelings and emotions to their parents. This makes neurofeedback a great alternative as they don’t have to talk about what they are experiencing when we rebalance their brains.
She adds, ”Mental Health is not just a term that is simply thrown around as the latest trend – it is a very real phenomenon! In the 15 – 24 age group, suicide is the second leading and fastest growing cause of death in South Africa.”
The brain as an energy economy
‘If we think of the brain as an energy economy, it becomes easier to understand the devastating impact that continual stress and anxiety have on not only the brain, but the body as a whole,” Rudman said
‘’Tens of billions of your brain cells transform oxygen and glucose from your blood into pulses of electricity up to 40 times each second. Your brain uses 25% of the oxygen and nearly 50% of the blood sugar in your whole body. The brain is less than 5% of your weight,’’ explains Rudman.
Leaving your brain burnt out
Resources meant to maintain your brain and body are all off at war fighting multiple fronts against unknown enemies. This leaves your brain burnt out and unable to supply your body with the energy it requires to live and this is when depression sets in.
Depression leads to feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and racing minds, to mention a few. This also severely affects your sleep quality, leading to further exhaustion and anxiety!
Some warning signs to look out for in teens who are possibly contemplating suicide are:
- Changes in eating and sleeping habits
- Loss of interest in usual activities
- Acting out behaviours
- Running away
- Alcohol and drug use
- Neglecting their personal appearance
- Unnecessary risk-taking
- Obsession with death and dying
Unlike other forms of therapy – medication and talk therapy – Neurofeedback sessions allow the brain to discover new pathways and more efficient ways of working to regulate the body and mind back into harmony.
The client does not have to relive the traumas or emotions that they have experienced or struggle with the complicated side effects of various medications.
COMPILED BY Kelly Burke, Flux Communications
