I Just Can’t Take it Anymore.

Suicides are noted to be increasing in the U.S. and especially with our teenagers.  Suicides across the board are at the highest level since WWII which ended in 1945…that’s almost 75 years ago!   The big concern is that many suicides are occurring in young people…teens between the ages of 15 and 19; there was a 21% increase in the suicidal deaths of males, ages 15-19 from 2017 compared to 2018.   What’s going on?  No one is sure; there are a number of theories.  In fact the idea that there are many theories indicates the number of potential causes or reasons that a person decides to ‘end it all’.   But why teenagers…they have their whole life in front of them.  There is a huge difference  between a teenager and a 96 year old fellow with terminal cancer, in pain, and no hope.  When a mother goes to the room of her teenage son and finds him dead; it’s the emotional blast that will never go away.

Why?  It’s the stress!  Teenagers are under incredible amounts of stress today.  Parents wonder if their child will come home from school today; the kids know it too.  What if we have another school shooting and your teenager is hit?   We respond to ‘Stress Thoughts’ as though the real thing is happening.  That is a huge stress factor but there are many others as well.  Bullying, fitting in, growing up, etc.

Our brains are our worst enemy.  

As as species our brains have an increase section in front of the major processing unit of our brain..the Cerebral Cortex, which we now call the Pre-Frontal Cortex.  This Pre-Frontal Cortex is the part of the brain  that has become the driving factor in allowing humans to become the top of the ‘Thinking Chain”.   Referring to mankind as the “Top of the Food Chain” could have never happened if our Pre-Frontal Cortex had not developed.  In psychiatry and psychological circles this area of the brain is called the Executive Function and deals with decision making, complex cognitive functioning, and personality.  Many authors feel it is the integral link to one’s personality and the will to live.

Now to expand on this connection between the ‘will to live’ and suicide we can see that the common denominator here is the Pre-Frontal Cortex….the one thing that has allowed us to build cities, the stock market, rockets, and suicide.  One thing is sure, worry belongs to us.  Is this our ‘canary in the coal mine’?

Animals have the primary instinct to survive and yes, we are animals.  Scientists typically agree that we are animals and certainly our primary forces in life are based on survival, reproduction of the species, and rest (conservation of energy).

And yet, as humans with our beautiful brains, we are killing ourselves. Is nature itself telling us that we have gone to far; has our Pre-Frontal Cortex gone too far?   That depends; is this is an evolutionary error and ‘the end is near’ (in Earth time) or can we figure out to live in peace.

It’s the stress that is leading to teen suicides.  It’s the differences that we have; the religions, the politics, the cultures.  It’s overwhelming.  A grandmother told me how here 12 year old grandson responded when they had to walk about 300 yards on a hot day…not even a third of the way the boy stopped, sat down with his head between his hands, crying out, “I just can’t take it anymore!”.

Hummm, I wonder how many people, after their 12th Robo call before noon, have stated “I just can’t take it anymore!”.    Sometimes we need to drop our shoulders and relax; we can’t carry the entire world on our shoulders (worry) but we do.  Eat healthy, stay happy, Vegan Doc