Peyton James, a 13-year-old Texan boy, committed suicide in his home on October 8. Peyton James’ mother found his lifeless body hanging in his bedroom. James is one more teenager to buckle under the extreme pressure we are sometimes forced to endure by our peers. Unable to deal with the bullying he had endured for years, he decided suicide was the only way out.
According to The Daily Mail , James’ suicide attempt was not immediately successful– emergency responders were able to restore his heartbeat after a half hour of CPR. Even so, Peyton fell into a coma in which he remained until five days later when his parents removed him from life support.
The boy’s suicide obviously came as a shock to his parents though many signs were evident. He had endured tauntings from his classmates for years about his appearance and personality and had even changed schools in hopes of escaping the bullying. His father, David, recalled hearing Peyton once threaten to kill himself, but dismissed it, not taking the suicide threat seriously. Following that, Peyton was taken to a mental health center where he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. The day the 13-year-old locked himself away and committed suicide, his mother had attributed his strange behavior to a simple mood swing.
“I thought he was brooding, being a typical 13-year-old boy, and I found him, and he was hanging.”
Recently The Inquisitr reported on the shocking suicide statistics released from ChildLine that showed a dramatic suicide increase within the 12-15 age group. ChildLine is a counselling service that gives children a support system where one may be lacking, and helps them to deal with problems they are facing. In this 13-year-old’s suicide case, it is unclear whether he was ever treated for depression. A new study on suicide suggests that when it comes to suicide prevention, simply talking about your problems can go a long way.
According to BBC News , The John Hopkins University, in its newly released suicide study report, has found that talking therapy may be the key to suicide prevention.
“Now we have evidence that psychosocial treatment – which provides support, not medication – is able to prevent suicide in a group at high risk of dying by suicide.”
Peyton James’ mom has a different suicide remedy. Her belief is that a little kindness can go a long way to aid suicide prevention. She has begun a campaign called ‘Kindness Matters’ that seeks to encourage persons to act nicely and do good for those around them.