Dawid was 19 years old. After learning of the young man’s death, a close female friend went to the viaduct. She wanted to calm her thoughts and try to understand what had happened. Looking at the site of the tragedy, she asked: “Dawid, what have you done?”. Today, the young man’s family and friends attended his funeral.
It is difficult to come to terms with the death of a young person. Unfortunately, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people, after accidents. Many students who go to the Psychological and Pedagogical Counseling Center in Bolesławiec because of behavioral difficulties reported by their school or parents reveal in conversations with therapists that they have experienced suicidal thoughts and attempts for a long time.
A potential suicide victim’s cry for help can be heard. Signals that should alert everyone include: talking about suicide or planning it; increased aggression and violence; rebellious behavior; sudden alcohol or drug abuse; rejecting help; self-blame and saying, “I am a bad person”; making statements about the hopelessness of life, having no way out, or hopelessness; rejecting rewards and praise; using statements such as: “Soon I will no longer be a problem for you”, “It’s no use anymore”, “We will never see each other again”, “I am nothing”, “I am not worth bothering with”, “I would like to die”, “I should not have been born”.
After such signals are observed, the school should take immediate action so that the parents take the child to a Mental Health Clinic, where a psychiatrist can verify the suspicions and begin appropriate therapy.
Teresa Rudzińska, director of the Bolesławiec Psychological and Pedagogical Counseling Center, described the problem in detail in the material: Preventing Suicide among Children and Adolescents.