Life is a precious gift and whether one believes that God put them here or that the big bang theory just dropped them off, everyone is here for a reason and no one should be put in a frame of mind to where they want to end their lives. The mother of 7 year-old Reece Johnson walked into his room and found that her baby boy had hung himself (Haven). Reece Johnson was handsome, funny, and an academically successful young man. He was just months away from his graduation, he did not attend prom and he did not make it to his 8th birthday. Johnson was known for his fashion sense, the ability to make others smile, and pull them out of dark places. During an interview, his parents explained how he had recent problems in school and was worried about one of his upcoming college interviews (Haven). From the outside looking in, one would think that Johnson was doing spectacular, but that was not the case. Maybe if Johnson had someone to talk to he would have been able to walk across the stage and begin college.
One meaningful step towards preventing suicide in teenagers is to implement mandatory counseling in schools. There are a lot of teenagers that keep their emotions bottled up that can later lead to an explosion. Some teenagers might not have anyone to talk to or may have things that cannot be discussed with others that they can discuss with a professional counselor. Counseling would begin with middle school students and continue until their senior year of high school. It would take place during sch
ool, not after, so students can still be engaged in their normal activities after school. The counseling would private and individual, not in a group. This intimacy will allow the student to be much more comfortable and open. Some teenagers feel as though talking to a counselor is lame, embarrassing, that they will be frowned upon and teased, or they simply do not think that it is necessary. This is one of the reasons why it will be mandatory. Counselors identify negative thinking problems and help change those problems into positive outlooks. They discover ones strengths, how to use those strengths, and help grow stronger in other areas. Counselors pour out empathy, compassion, and outstanding listening skills. Parents, teachers, and adults are often oblivious to the signs of suicidal teenagers and this is a good example of why counseling is needed. It is a counselors job to interpret when one is thinking about suicide and how to help tremendously in that area. For example, Dr.Gillihan is a counselor, and he has helped many people who were thinking about ending their own lives. One of his patients who went by the name of John told Dr.Gillihan how he wished he could go to sleep and never wake up (Gillihan). Dr. Gillihan took what John said very seriously and made a plan with him on how they would work together to monitor and manage his thoughts of suicide (Gillihan). Helping students with suicidal thoughts, personal problems, worries, and stress will have a very positive impact on the world.