Confide in trustworthy adults, says Hinds

United States based consultant Karen Hinds is advising troubled and frustrated Vincentian youth to confide in trustworthy adults.{{more}}

Hinds made the suggestion following a question asked by Bjon Ferdinand, a member of the audience at her presentation for young adults, held last Tuesday at the Methodist Church Hall.

Ferdinand’s question was: “What’s your thoughts on young people who don’t like the lives that they are living and make drastic decisions to end their lives?”

In her response, Hinds told the gathering that she has observed that “times are very different” compared to when she was a younger person.

Hinds said the youth of today are facing many different stresses and pressures.

“There’s the Internet, there’s bullying, there’s peer pressure. There are all these men running around, these women running around. There are all kinds of crazy things happening.

“So my task for you is, can you find an adult who can help? If you’re a young person and having a very difficult time and you may not like your life, I’m going to ask you, can you find a trusted adult,” she said.

Hinds emphasized that the adult should be someone you can trust, as “not many adults can be trusted.”

She further advised young people to reach out to an adult in their community, with whom they can sit and have a confidential conversation.

“I firmly believe that as young people, one of the things you really need is just someone to talk to.

“Someone who can understand what you are going through and someone who is actually going to listen…” Hinds added.

Just recently, within the space of one week, three suicides were reported here.

On April 25, 16-year-old Grammar School student Romario Sayers of Arnos Vale died after reportedly hanging himself; so too did 26-year-old Kendol Lee of Glamorgan on April 30.

Arlene Cozier, a 36-year-old mother of three, died on May 3, reportedly by suicide.(AA)