Did you know that 20 young people take their own lives every single day in the United States?

Catherine recently sat down with one such teen for a two-part series on suicide. Emma Benoit had a picture-perfect life. She was a vibrant, beautiful 16-year-old varsity cheerleader whose secret battle with anxiety led her to take a gun, point it at her chest, and pull the trigger. Only 1% of people with self-inflicted gunshot wounds survive. Emma is in that 1%. She is an absolute miracle and an inspiration.

Joining Catherine and Emma for this vital conversation is Jennifer Ellers, a Christian counselor, crisis responder, and trainer. Jennifer has authored a course on youth suicide and is an instructor of the American Association of Christian Counselor’s Hope-Focused 3-R Suicide Program.

In Episode 49, part one of this series, Jennifer discussed the explosion of suicides occurring in very young children and shared the signs we should look for in kids under the age of twelve as Emma shared her journey leading up to the day that she attempted to end her life.

This episode, part two of that interview, picks up just after Emma pulled the trigger. It focuses on the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of suicide, the signs we should look for in older children, specific steps we can take to prevent suicide, and Emma’s recovery.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a 2019 study revealed that 8.9% of youth in grades 9-12 reported that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past twelve months. There has been a 33% increase in suicides since 1999. Suicide is now the 2nd leading cause of death in young people.

Look for Catherine’s upcoming article on youth suicide to see all the signs parents should look for in their children and recommendations on how to prevent suicide in your family.

Links:

Other Episodes in this Series:
Episode 49 – “How Do We Combat the Epidemic of Teen Suicide? Emma Benoit Interview (Part One)” https://bit.ly/3uNfKuV

Suicide prevention hotline: call or text 988. (This 3-digit code, launched in July of 2022, will connect you to the national suicide hotline.)

“My Ascension” the documentary: www.myascension.us

Emma Benoit/My Ascension Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/myascension

American Association of Christian Counselors: https://aacc.net/

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Study: https://bit.ly/3uoWLqz

Kevin Hine’s story: https://bit.ly/3XOpfr8

Kevin Hines’ website: https://www.kevinhinesstory.com/