By Ghalia Al-Qaoud

KUWAIT: Behind every smile, there may be an untold story of suffering and pain within a teenager whom people think is too young to have deep feelings. The teenage years are a phase that can be challenging and a time when they are searching for their passion. Imagine a teenager who wanted to have loyal friends, straight A’s, and not strict and understanding parents, but he couldn’t have these things; he didn’t get to his expectations, so suicidal thoughts are always on his mind. Kuwait Times spoke with people who survived suicide while they were teenagers.

Shahad Amer was 17 when she tried to commit suicide, saying, “I was in the middle of an argument with my father. Suddenly, during our argument, my father clutched his chest and collapsed. He had a heart attack. I was terrified and felt an immense sense of guilt. As I tried to help him, it felt like my world was falling apart. The emotional strain was so intense. But I remembered that I needed to stay strong to help my father, so I called an ambulance and tried to keep him calm until help arrived.” She continued, “After the strength that I had during that situation, all my strength disappeared; I turned into a fragile person. It’s so hard to explain what the situation looks like, but after all that happened, I fell into a lot of traumas to the point that I tried to end my life.”

She described her attempt and how she walked in the middle of the night on the neighborhood street and lay down waiting for a car to hit her, but there was no car passing by. Then she realized that she should give the world another chance, and that was when she planned to start going to a psychiatrist to help myself out. “I couldn’t tell my family what I was going through after what happened because I didn’t want to cause more pain, so I handled it on my own. I opened a small business and worked part-time to collect money for therapy sessions, and I moved on,” she explained to Kuwait Times.

As for Jana Mohammad, who was 15, when she found out that her mother had cancer. She was brave enough to take care of her mother, while her father showed no concern for her mother’s condition and wasn’t convinced to seek treatment abroad. Despite the lack of support from her father, Jana remained resolute. She managed to gather enough funds to start her mother’s treatment locally. However, despite all their efforts, her mother sadly died.

After her mother passed away, Jana struggled with her (bad) father alone without her mother, so she was overwhelmed by grief and her father wasn’t supportive. Jana tried to take her own life by taking a large amount of medication. Thankfully, her younger brother noticed her condition and called for help. Emergency responders arrived quickly, and they went to the hospital. She had to undergo kidney dialysis because she overdosed, and the doctors managed to save her.

Meanwhile, Khaled Ali, 13, said, “Since I was 11, I’ve been facing bullying problems and being lonely all the time, and since nobody cared, I’ve been having bad thoughts about myself and losing my love for myself, and until now, I can’t stop crying and asking, What is my purpose? I couldn’t hold it, and I was so close to jumping out the window, until my brothers saved me mentally, saying they would never leave, and they will be right there for me.”

Abdullah Al-Khalifah, a psychology consultant

According to Abdullah Al-Khalifah, a psychology consultant, recognizing signs that a teenager may be struggling with suicidal thoughts involves observing several key indicators, saying, “These include behavioral changes like withdrawal from family and friends, avoiding traditional gatherings, loss of interest in activities, significant changes in eating or sleeping patterns, declining academic performance, and increased secrecy.”

He indicated that in Kuwait, reluctance to engage in religious practices and expressing negative views about cultural norms are additional signs, adding, “Emotional signs include persistent sadness, hopelessness, extreme mood swings, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and talking about death or suicide, even jokingly. Verbal cues such as saying “I wish I was dead” or “I can’t take this anymore” and saying goodbye should be critically looked into. Behavioral warnings include risky behavior, giving away prized possessions, seeking means of self-harm, and self-destructive behaviors like substance abuse and reckless driving.”

To support teen mental health and prevent suicide, the consultant said that it’s important to create a safe, non-judgmental space for open communication where active listening and empathy are practiced. “Encouraging teenagers to seek professional help and educating themselves and their parents about mental health issues is essential. Building strong family relationships and positive peer connections, promoting healthy lifestyle choices like regular exercise, balanced diets, and good sleep habits, and providing access to mental health professionals and help lines are crucial steps,” he pointed out.

He revealed that in Kuwait, both private and government centers offer quality mental health services; advising teens to reduce the social stigma surrounding mental health, monitoring social media use, reducing access to means of self-harm, fostering positive school environments through anti-bullying policies, and encouraging community participation are also important, noting that early intervention and consistent follow-up care with mental health professionals can help create a supportive environment that promotes mental well-being and reduces the risk of suicide among teenagers.