Suicide Speech Outline
Title / Topic
Teen suicide and public awareness.
Specific Purpose
My purpose in speaking today is to inform my audience of the increasing teen suicide rates and bring awareness to the issue by supporting the work of the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative through
Central Idea
Suicide is an increasing matter among many teens and young adults in the United States, but awareness through many organizations, including the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative, is showing those in need that there are people willing to help and support them through their hard times.
Bibliography
Clemmit, M. (2009, June 26). Treating depression. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2009062600&type=hitlist&num=1 …show more content…
-This source helped explain what is being done, and what needs to be done to help treat depression, which is a leading factor to suicidal tendencies.
Hosansky, D. (2004, February 13). Youth suicide. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2004021300&type=hitlist&num=1 -This article helped back up the information found in Teenage Suicide. This article is much more recent than the other, giving more modern information. Although, this article didn’t have as many statistics, it had many more personal narratives, putting readers in that position.
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/. (2012, Ausgust 31). Retrieved from Suicide Prevention (SUPRE)
The World Health Organization provides many satistics as well as charts on suicide, using bibliographies to show where their information was obtained.
Worsnop, R. (1992, October 9). Depression. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1992100900&type=hitlist&num=0 - I used this source to find statistics to help back up the leading factors to an attempted suicide. It also shows that not only suicide victims need the help, but those suffering depression. By finding and battling depression sooner many suicides can be avoided.
Worsnop, R. (1991, June 14). Teenage suicide. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1991061400&type=hitlist&num=0 -This article, from CQ researcher, provided a lot of information to get me started. It not only had personal stories, but also statistics as well as graphs to help back up the information they had provided.
Attention-getting opening
We were created to love and be loved. We were meant to live life in connection with other people, to know and be known. We need to know that our story is important and that we’re part of a bigger picture. We need to know that our life matters. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that each of us live with unanswered questions, and all of us get stuck in bad situations. Everybody needs to know that they 're not alone in the places they feel stuck. We all wake to the human condition; we wake to mystery and magnificence but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain; millions of homes are filled with questions, moments, periods, and phases that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real and it is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.
Establish your Identity and Credibility.
I will be sharing with you information from the World Health Organization as well as articles provided through Murphy Library. I have had first-hand experience with the loss of two close friends to suicide within a year and a half and with the pain I’ve experienced I’ve felt the need to do research on the topic to bring greater awareness to the community.
Transition: Let’s begin by looking at statistics to show that there are real distresses among teen suicide rates that need awareness brought upon them.
II. Need
Teenage suicide is a large problem within our community that needs to be addressed before the continuously growing rate becomes more prominent.
A. Suicide is relevant among all different backgrounds.
1. Self-inflicted deaths happen in all social, ethnic, and economic classes.
a. Many people believe that adolescents who are successful are less likely to attempt a suicide.
b. “Adolescents who have all the ‘right’ friends and are academically and athletically successful kill themselves, as do youths who come from divided families, having few friends and are failing in school related …show more content…
activities(Worsnop).”
2. Teenagers in successful and wealthy families are just as likely to attempt suicide.
a. Teens try to reach high expectations set by those in their families.
b. They have an increased pressure to be successful like those they are around regularly.
3. Many teens contemplating suicide have underlying emotional problems, especially depression. This key warning sign often goes unnoticed due to the moody personalities of today’s teenagers.
a. More than 15 million people in the United States suffer from depression (Clemmit).
b. 15 percent of those people will eventually attempt suicide (Clemmit).
B. Suicide rates continue to increase.
1. Teen suicide rates have tripled since the 1950’s (Hosansky).
a. In 1998 alone suicide rates had increased from 12.9% to 13.2% per 100,000 people (Worsnop).
b. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds in the United States, and the second leading cause of death among white Non-Hispanic Americans (Worsnop).
c. The amount of self-inflicted death tolls follows those of accidents and homicide and comes before cancer, heart disease, and all other deaths (Worsnop) .
d. A suicide is completed once every forty seconds (http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en).
2. 5,000 teenagers and young adults will take their lives over this year (Worsnop).
a. Fifty times that will make an unsuccessful attempt (Worsnop).
b. Twenty percent of those who made unsuccessful attempts will attempt again (Worsnop).
3. “If suicide were an infectious disease, we would call it an epidemic.”- Joseph Woolston
a. Women are three times as likely to attempt a suicide as men; whereas, men are three times as likely to complete a suicide than women (Hosansky).
b. A recent study shows that out of 137 homosexual or bisexual males 41 have attempted suicide (Hosansky).
c. Homosexuals and bisexuals are three times as likely as any person to attempt suicide and account for 30 percent of all recorded suicides (Hosansky).
C. Suicide doesn’t just affect the family of the victim, but it also affects the friends as well as most of the community.
1. Teens who commit suicide don’t just change people’s thoughts; it changes how they see everything.
a. People will not be able to see things that relate to that person the same, the sound of their name will burn in their memories, they won’t even be able to go past your home without wondering why you’re not there.
b. In addition to the feelings of grief normally associated with a person 's death, there may be guilt, anger, resentment, remorse, confusion and great distress over unresolved issues.
c.
Most families and friends blame themselves for the person 's suicide, even if it 's not their fault. They kick themselves for not seeing the signs and talking to the person about it.
2. This issue is important to me because after losing two close friends to suicide I feel that awareness needs to be brought out and spread throughout today’s students. Nobody can fathom how it feels, and shouldn’t, to lose a best friend in such a way, until you’re actually put in that situation.
III. Satisfaction The La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative provides help to those that are in need, as well as their families.
A. The group 's mission is to increase public awareness that suicide is a problem in our area, and that it is preventable public health problem.
1. The LAX Area Suicide Prevention has multiple support groups for those who need help, as well as the families to those in need.
2. These groups include; caring by sharing, depressed anonymous , emotional anonymous, RAVE (Path to wholeness), support group for families of persons for mental illness, survivors of suicide, southwest family ties, as well as women’s supporting
women.
3. These groups meet a few times a month all over the La Crosse area, making accessibility easier for those in need.
4. These support groups are free of charge and usually run by volunteers of the LAX Area SPI
B. The La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative focuses on the most important issues for suicide awareness. These topics include, but are not limited to:
1. Warning Signs of suicide
2. What to do if somebody is considering suicide
3. Risk factors for suicide
4. Myths and facts about suicide
Transition: So the support groups set up by the LaX area SPI are a great idea to help people in need, but are they actually helping?
IV. Visualization This program is currently helping roughly 15 people per group who are suffering with mental illness, or those who have lost somebody to suicide.
A. What can be done to help?
1. Know the warning signs of suicide and help direct these people in the right direction.
2. Don’t just tell people where they should go, help them seek the help they need.
3. Get involved in the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative.
i. Learn QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) ii. Learn more about mental illness and suicide.
iii. Help dispel the fear and stigma that surrounds mental illness and suicide by learning the facts and advocate change iv. If you are a survivor, join a survivor group.
v. Join your local coalition by donating your time.
V. Action Inform others of the fundraisers supported by the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative and UW- La Crosse. A. Annual Suicide Summit (September)
B. Annual Suicide Awareness Walk (September)
C. Suicide Awareness Week (Also September)
Closing: Everybody needs to know that rescue is possible, and that freedom is possible. We’re seeing it happen. We’re seeing lives change as people get the help they need. These people sitting across from a counselor for the first time, stepping into treatment, and getting help. The first step into recovery is always the hardest to take, but this step is worth it. This step helps to show that your life is worth fighting for, and that it is possible to change.
Teen suicide and public awareness.
Specific Purpose
My purpose in speaking today is to inform my audience of the increasing teen suicide rates and bring awareness to the issue by supporting the work of the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative through
Central Idea
Suicide is an increasing matter among many teens and young adults in the United States, but awareness through many organizations, including the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative, is showing those in need that there are people willing to help and support them through their hard times.
Bibliography
Clemmit, M. (2009, June 26). Treating depression. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2009062600&type=hitlist&num=1 …show more content…
-This source helped explain what is being done, and what needs to be done to help treat depression, which is a leading factor to suicidal tendencies.
Hosansky, D. (2004, February 13). Youth suicide. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2004021300&type=hitlist&num=1 -This article helped back up the information found in Teenage Suicide. This article is much more recent than the other, giving more modern information. Although, this article didn’t have as many statistics, it had many more personal narratives, putting readers in that position.
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en/. (2012, Ausgust 31). Retrieved from Suicide Prevention (SUPRE)
The World Health Organization provides many satistics as well as charts on suicide, using bibliographies to show where their information was obtained.
Worsnop, R. (1992, October 9). Depression. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1992100900&type=hitlist&num=0 - I used this source to find statistics to help back up the leading factors to an attempted suicide. It also shows that not only suicide victims need the help, but those suffering depression. By finding and battling depression sooner many suicides can be avoided.
Worsnop, R. (1991, June 14). Teenage suicide. Retrieved from http://libweb.uwlax.edu:2118/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre1991061400&type=hitlist&num=0 -This article, from CQ researcher, provided a lot of information to get me started. It not only had personal stories, but also statistics as well as graphs to help back up the information they had provided.
Attention-getting opening
We were created to love and be loved. We were meant to live life in connection with other people, to know and be known. We need to know that our story is important and that we’re part of a bigger picture. We need to know that our life matters. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that each of us live with unanswered questions, and all of us get stuck in bad situations. Everybody needs to know that they 're not alone in the places they feel stuck. We all wake to the human condition; we wake to mystery and magnificence but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain; millions of homes are filled with questions, moments, periods, and phases that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real and it is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.
Establish your Identity and Credibility.
I will be sharing with you information from the World Health Organization as well as articles provided through Murphy Library. I have had first-hand experience with the loss of two close friends to suicide within a year and a half and with the pain I’ve experienced I’ve felt the need to do research on the topic to bring greater awareness to the community.
Transition: Let’s begin by looking at statistics to show that there are real distresses among teen suicide rates that need awareness brought upon them.
II. Need
Teenage suicide is a large problem within our community that needs to be addressed before the continuously growing rate becomes more prominent.
A. Suicide is relevant among all different backgrounds.
1. Self-inflicted deaths happen in all social, ethnic, and economic classes.
a. Many people believe that adolescents who are successful are less likely to attempt a suicide.
b. “Adolescents who have all the ‘right’ friends and are academically and athletically successful kill themselves, as do youths who come from divided families, having few friends and are failing in school related …show more content…
activities(Worsnop).”
2. Teenagers in successful and wealthy families are just as likely to attempt suicide.
a. Teens try to reach high expectations set by those in their families.
b. They have an increased pressure to be successful like those they are around regularly.
3. Many teens contemplating suicide have underlying emotional problems, especially depression. This key warning sign often goes unnoticed due to the moody personalities of today’s teenagers.
a. More than 15 million people in the United States suffer from depression (Clemmit).
b. 15 percent of those people will eventually attempt suicide (Clemmit).
B. Suicide rates continue to increase.
1. Teen suicide rates have tripled since the 1950’s (Hosansky).
a. In 1998 alone suicide rates had increased from 12.9% to 13.2% per 100,000 people (Worsnop).
b. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-four year olds in the United States, and the second leading cause of death among white Non-Hispanic Americans (Worsnop).
c. The amount of self-inflicted death tolls follows those of accidents and homicide and comes before cancer, heart disease, and all other deaths (Worsnop) .
d. A suicide is completed once every forty seconds (http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/suicide/suicideprevent/en).
2. 5,000 teenagers and young adults will take their lives over this year (Worsnop).
a. Fifty times that will make an unsuccessful attempt (Worsnop).
b. Twenty percent of those who made unsuccessful attempts will attempt again (Worsnop).
3. “If suicide were an infectious disease, we would call it an epidemic.”- Joseph Woolston
a. Women are three times as likely to attempt a suicide as men; whereas, men are three times as likely to complete a suicide than women (Hosansky).
b. A recent study shows that out of 137 homosexual or bisexual males 41 have attempted suicide (Hosansky).
c. Homosexuals and bisexuals are three times as likely as any person to attempt suicide and account for 30 percent of all recorded suicides (Hosansky).
C. Suicide doesn’t just affect the family of the victim, but it also affects the friends as well as most of the community.
1. Teens who commit suicide don’t just change people’s thoughts; it changes how they see everything.
a. People will not be able to see things that relate to that person the same, the sound of their name will burn in their memories, they won’t even be able to go past your home without wondering why you’re not there.
b. In addition to the feelings of grief normally associated with a person 's death, there may be guilt, anger, resentment, remorse, confusion and great distress over unresolved issues.
c.
Most families and friends blame themselves for the person 's suicide, even if it 's not their fault. They kick themselves for not seeing the signs and talking to the person about it.
2. This issue is important to me because after losing two close friends to suicide I feel that awareness needs to be brought out and spread throughout today’s students. Nobody can fathom how it feels, and shouldn’t, to lose a best friend in such a way, until you’re actually put in that situation.
III. Satisfaction The La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative provides help to those that are in need, as well as their families.
A. The group 's mission is to increase public awareness that suicide is a problem in our area, and that it is preventable public health problem.
1. The LAX Area Suicide Prevention has multiple support groups for those who need help, as well as the families to those in need.
2. These groups include; caring by sharing, depressed anonymous , emotional anonymous, RAVE (Path to wholeness), support group for families of persons for mental illness, survivors of suicide, southwest family ties, as well as women’s supporting
women.
3. These groups meet a few times a month all over the La Crosse area, making accessibility easier for those in need.
4. These support groups are free of charge and usually run by volunteers of the LAX Area SPI
B. The La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative focuses on the most important issues for suicide awareness. These topics include, but are not limited to:
1. Warning Signs of suicide
2. What to do if somebody is considering suicide
3. Risk factors for suicide
4. Myths and facts about suicide
Transition: So the support groups set up by the LaX area SPI are a great idea to help people in need, but are they actually helping?
IV. Visualization This program is currently helping roughly 15 people per group who are suffering with mental illness, or those who have lost somebody to suicide.
A. What can be done to help?
1. Know the warning signs of suicide and help direct these people in the right direction.
2. Don’t just tell people where they should go, help them seek the help they need.
3. Get involved in the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative.
i. Learn QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) ii. Learn more about mental illness and suicide.
iii. Help dispel the fear and stigma that surrounds mental illness and suicide by learning the facts and advocate change iv. If you are a survivor, join a survivor group.
v. Join your local coalition by donating your time.
V. Action Inform others of the fundraisers supported by the La Crosse Area Suicide Prevention Initiative and UW- La Crosse. A. Annual Suicide Summit (September)
B. Annual Suicide Awareness Walk (September)
C. Suicide Awareness Week (Also September)
Closing: Everybody needs to know that rescue is possible, and that freedom is possible. We’re seeing it happen. We’re seeing lives change as people get the help they need. These people sitting across from a counselor for the first time, stepping into treatment, and getting help. The first step into recovery is always the hardest to take, but this step is worth it. This step helps to show that your life is worth fighting for, and that it is possible to change.