My brother took his own life on his thirtieth birthday. My life has never been the same. Thirty plus years after publishing the first edition of Dead Serious, this second completely revised and updated edition covers new ground: bullying, social media, LGBTQ teens, suicide prevention programs, and more. Scores of teens share their stories that are often filled with hurt, disappointment, shame--yet often hope. Written for teens, adults and educators, Dead Serious: Breaking the Cycle of Teen Suicide explores the current cultural and social landscape and how the pressure-filled lives of teens today can lead to anxiety, depression--suicide.

Suicide is a perplexing human behavior that remains among the leading causes of death worldwide, responsible for more deaths each year than all wars, genocide, and homicide combined. Although suicide and other forms of self-injury have baffled scholars and clinicians for thousands of years,the past few decades have brought significant leaps in our understanding of these behaviors. This volume provides a comprehensive summary of the most important and exciting advances in our understanding of suicide and self-injury and our ability to predict and prevent it.

Delving into a topic of perennial interest and concern, particularly among teenagers, this important volume addresses the full range of issues related to suicide and suggests ways to help those who struggle. * Examines the topic from a variety of perspectives and provides insights into current issues and controversies, such as doctor-assisted suicide * Discusses suicide among a variety of age groups and social classes, not just teenagers and college students * Draws on the author's 40 years of clinical and academic experience as well as on the most up-to-date scholarly and professional literature * Serves as a gateway to other resources and further study

Written by a clinical psychologist and illustrated with vignettes from the author's experience, this book offers a clear understanding of how suicidal thought develops, how we can help prevent death from suicide, and how suicidal people can recover and change their way of thinking. * Presents practical information of critical importance that can help prevent death from suicide * Specifically written to serve one of the highest risk and most vulnerable groups to suicide (youth ages 15-24) and provides them with information and resources to save lives * Provides real hope and "a way out" to those feeling suicidal