To the stressed out teen:

Try relaxing your mind and finding yourself and your strengths. You are the only one who is in control of your own mind, not your environment. People who have survived suicide attempts usually go on to lead happier lives after a few years, meaning that if life seems unlivable now, stick with it, it isn't always going to be like this.

Suicide is not an option when life becomes hard, this is where you have to be strong and meet your depression head on and not allow it to destroy your life.

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(2)

Dear Dazed,

Sure, we all have bad days... but think back to that moment in your life when you were happiest. When you realize that things can't get any worse, that's when you know it can only get better. If you don't think anyone out there loves you, think again. There is beauty inside you.

You don't have to be at your best every day. If you close your eyes and you feel lonely, don't ever forget there is someone else out there that feels the way you do. Time is your friend, not your enemy. Remember the last belly laugh, the last smile you shared with someone, and give yourself a break. Have a rest, and please don't forget what I have said.

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(3)
To the reader:

I know this question was from forever ago, but in case anyone else reads this, I'd like to note that I, too, used to think all of the same things that this stressed out teen had though back then. I often thought things like "If we die in the end anyway...." But now my outlook on life has changed. I still realize that we will just die in the end, but that has made me happier. Why regret the past? Why worry about our failures and mishaps? In the end, we will be gone, so let's make the best of what we have. If bad times come around, it doesn't matter. They'll pass and we can forget them, and we'll end up dead in the end. But when good times are here, we might as well savor them. Some of my friends think my outlook on life is "sad" or "morbid" because I still revolve around dying in the end. But you can't escape that fact. So live life to the fullest, because you only get to do it once. Since I started thinking like this, I have had a much happier life. I don't think about suicide, though I do realise I will die someday. I want to live a long life and do whatever makes me happy. Ignore the bad stuff, because it doesn't matter!