Addicted Teens More Prone To Suicide

PORTLAND, Ore– Paul Bryant Clinical Director for the Department of Addiction Medicine  visits with parents and their addicted children regularly.  He says if we took 50 kids with addiction problems all of them will have though about suicide at one time or another.  He suggests parents and teachers need to be alert to a downward spiral that can happen all of a sudden or slowly. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people 10 to 24 here in Oregon as of statistics from 2017. Often times, that starts with a teenager’s drug and alcohol abuse and some mental health issues. Sometime get involved in partying and accidently overdose.  Other times young people feel overwhelmed and just can’t handle the pressures of life.

Bryant says, “Parents have to stand firm and talk with their kids about not using drugs and not allowing them to use in their homes it’s not ok.”  Family doctors can be the first form of help.  They can help obtain services to help treat kids and everyone connected to that child.