Alone In This Society

A Story by Ellie Bolstad

Everyone needs help but how do we get people to understand whatis going on.

            Teens are fighting a battle; constantly losing not only self-esteem, but the love and acknowledgement they need. Living hopelessly alone during times when a little attention is needed the most.

Many of us know about Amanda Todd; the teenager girl who was bullied to the point of suicide. On September 7, 2012 Amanda posted a video explaining how she was being bullied and abused over the internet and at school. Only a month later was she found dead in her home. In her video she explains how after one mistake, so much more happened.

            Amanda is only one of many teens who can’t escape the torment and bullying of others. Teens today are judged for any mistake they make, and harm themselves or others while trying to get away from the pain. In a YouTube video a college student tells her story of depression and something she said stuck with me. It was, “Bullies kill, words scar, rumours destroy”. She is still alive today getting help with support from her loving boyfriend.

            With some reference from teenhelp.com I have been able to understand that almost 20% of teens will experience depression before they become adults. Majority of these teens have attempted suicide at least once. Of the teens who have committed suicide 86% are male, while only 14% are female. Many teen girls have told their stories through social media but, about four times the amount of teen males actually succeeded in committing suicide. Teens that have committed suicide often abused alcohol and/or drugs. Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death in young people today.

Not all teens experience depression though many may feel they need to fight their problems alone. Relationship abuse is a problem many girls have to deal with. So many of these girls are threatened, assaulted, and forced to do things they would never want to do; abandoning those who have the possibility to free them from their abusers clutches.

Some teens deal with abusive friendships or the lack of friends. Many teens experience what you might consider casting-out. Some teenagers will assemble together to put a person and there reputation at risk. If a friend is verbally or physically abused do not stand by and watch because it could be that moment that determines whether they can withstand it or whether it defines them.

While many people have relatively good home lives there are a few whose problem have to do with family troubles. These can include divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, emotional instability or a mentally-ill parent(s). These teens are abused and abandoned; left to feel the pain inside with no one else to rely on. Being lonely is the worst feeling to experience.

Although we know that too many teens have lost their lives to cyber-bullying and in-school bullying; teens today find themselves alone in this society left to fight the battles on their own. Death and its aftermath are extremely hard on teens, but those who are dealing with it don’t have to be alone. Help the ones who need to stood up and stand by those that are alone because everyone deserves love, help and support.

            Teenage youth are at risk; damage at this age will cause even more repercussion in future.

Teens need help. We must stand by the broken and abandoned people. They need a voice that will be heard. Life is fragile and every life counts. It’s not just about the popular girl that was sad for a few days, or the football jock that had his parents’ divorce. It can be about the shy young fellow in the back of the class who can barely get up in the morning because his friends abandoned him and his mom started abusing drugs so now he has to support himself.

Everyone deserves help and no one should have to die because of what others say or do because the people who cause the pain are just as responsible for killing the person as if they were holding the gun to the persons head.