child suicide

Sunday night in Discipleship Training our discussion got around to children who commit or attempt to commit suicide. We were led toward this discussion because a 2nd grader from a neighboring county had attempted to hang himself in his closet. The consensus of many in the class was that he attempted suicide because of the violent TV he watched or because he had horrible parents. Normal children do not think of such things as such a young age.

I tend to disagree and today I had the opportunity to talk with a young man who gave me his viewpoint on this topic based on personal experience.

MN is a young man who co-owns a nursery business and landscape business.
M is ADD/ADHD and says if it weren't that his mom is a teacher and had tutored him nightly, he wouldn't be where he is today. He graduated high school and college and has a landscape business also.

He takes Adderal for his ADD/ADHD, and because of Shandi, I am always asking him stuff about his ADD and I get answers from the adult viewpoint, answers I can understand.

Here's the interesting things about our conversation today. He brought up the fact that anxiety and depression go along with ADD/ADHD. Then he goes on to tell me that even as a 4 year old he knew about suicide. He says he does not remember this incident but it is what prompted his mom and dad, who is a lawyer, to get him some help. They tell him he came down the hall dragging the shotgun and when asked what he planned to do he told them he was going to kill himself with it. He says that he doesn't want to think crazy thoughts, but he'll be driving down the road and seemingly out of nowhere comes the thought--now if I hit that tree just so then I will be gone, dead.
He said he could be at a water park having a blast and suddenly the thought comes >>>>>>> This is only going to last a short while. In 30 minutes we'll be leaving and all this fun will be over, then what? He says he can go to bed feeling fine, not depressed, and wake up in the middle of the night thinking suicide thoughts.
He says he battles them all the time. He loves his job. He enjoys life, but from time to time throughout the day these thoughts of suicide or what's the use, or what's next comes to mind.
Imagine my surprise that he came today and not only that he came out today, but he brought up the suicide topic. But then, why would I be surprised. God always gives the answers I need.

He said diet plays a huge part in how he feels too. Plenty of water, few soft drinks, more veggies and raw is better, and little meat and bread. Of course he doesn't stick to that himself, but he says he knows he feels better when he eats right.

I know we talked for 2 hours about ADD and I learned so much. He says that kids who do attempt suicide today, and those who succeed don't necessarily do it simply based on what they watch on TV or their family life. He had a wonderful family life according to him. Mom is a teacher, dad a lawyer, he has an older brother and older sister and a younger brother. They lived reasonably well but not extravagently.