MILTON, Del. - The pressures of teenage life are wide-ranging: academics, athletics, appearance, clothing, college and dating. And the list goes on.
"There's just a whole bunch of stress going on," said Catherine Weaver, 19, a former student at Polytech High School in Kent County, Del.
The recent deaths of three Polytech students by suicide has raised awareness of the issue and the pressures teenagers face.
"A lot of people won't talk about what they're doing to relieve their pressure," said Weaver.
Sussex County psychotherapist Paula Varrassi said today's teenagers are coping with pressures unheard of in years past.
"There's academic pressure, social pressure, family pressure and then there's the whole electronic media," said Varrassi.
Teenagers have adult bodies and adult problems, but their brains are not necessarily matured to an adult stage, said Varrassi. As a result, younger people often have trouble coping with life's challenges.
"They don't have that perspective yet and because their brains are still developing, they often act impulsively without thinking things through," said Varrassi.
Based on experience helping patients, Varrassi said many people who contemplate suicide simply want to end the pain, not their lives. Teenagers may not completely grasp that suicide is permanent. The psychotherapist said parents and friends need to emphasize that life is full of ups and downs.
"Teenagers don't know that time often takes care of that hurt," said Varrassi.
Varrassi recommends teaching coping methods to handle problems, including relaxation and breathing techniques. Emotional moments often hinder rational decisions, she noted.
People tend to drop hints to friends when things are not going well, Varrassi said. Young people should take those hints seriously if they hear them from friends.
Weaver offered a message for teenagers:
"It gets better. Eventually, it gets better," said Weaver. "You can only go so far down before you have to go up."
