Teens, Depression and Suicide

A young poet by the name of Hannah Dains has gained notoriety thanks to social media serving to popularize her poem entitled “Don’t Kill Yourself Today.” Dains wrote the poem as a way to encourage those struggling with suicidal thoughts. In the poem, she lists all kinds of reasons to choose to continue living. Some teenagers who are struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts are now reaching out to others via social media sites including Tik Tok to share phrases from Dains’ poem as a way to tell others they are struggling. At first glance, the phrases seem very innocent. They include things like “I had pasta tonight”, or “I finished my shampoo and conditioner at the same time”, or “my Netflix subscription ran out.” While these obscure references might not make sense to most of us, they do to those familiar with Dains’ poem. This trend reminds us that teen suicide is real, and we must be diligent in listening to our kids, taking their struggles seriously, and getting them the Christ-centered help they need.