Sharing a problem eases the pain

Teenagers face a lot of problems and are constantly under pressure. Four teens took their own lives in four days in July. This shows the seriousness of the problem.

Teens face pressure from their peers and at school. Their parents also have high expectations. They may feel unhappy and depressed because they cannot solve all their problems.

All of us face difficulties at times, but taking our own life is not the solution. I think some teens are so overprotected by their parents that they cannot tackle problems independently. These teens are not strong enough and they give up easily.

Teens should find the proper way to solve problems. Parents should teach their children to have a positive attitude towards life, and teens should develop a sense of humour and lighten up.

Jenny Lam, The Chinese Foundation Secondary School

From the Editor

Thank you for your letter, Jenny. Young people who kill themselves seldom do it because they are 'giving up'. More often than not it is because they feel they are facing immense pain and they are unable to deal with it.

Our society is quite cold in that unless a person has some physical sign that something is broken, it often does not recognise that they need help. Seldom is it just one thing that sets off a suicide. Usually there are multiple 'reasons'. We can look at those in isolation and think they would be quite manageable but for the person facing them all, they are not.

We need to keep the lines of communication open with our friends and family members. We need to stop and ask people how they are, instead of just looking for a smiley face on messenger. We need to learn to 'listen' to people and pay attention to them. For some, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Susan, Editor