Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label suicide. Show all posts

Thursday, June 24, 2021

HOW TO SURVIVE CYBER-BULLYING

Hey, Awesome Teens,

 First off, I want to thank my good friend Anna, a teen follower of Christ, who provided me with valuable information for this blog post. Thanks, Anna!  (Waving to you out there! :)

 So, today we're going to talk about cyber-bullying. Just in case you don't know what it means, cyber-bullying is using social media to post rude, negative comments about another girl for the purpose of hurting her. When the targeted girl reads the post, she immediately knows it's about her, although others who read the post may not know who the targeted girl is. For this reason, it's difficult to punish the poster because there is no real proof that the poster was targeting a specific girl.

Cyber-bullying also includes online threats, tweets, and posting any kind of information--including pics or videos--that are meant to hurt, embarrass, or upset someone. Often, these pictures, videos, and rude comments are not removed, even after the targeted person asks the poster to remove them. 

Some teens create "fake" or "fun" Instagram accounts that they use only for cyber-bullying. These accounts are called "finsta' accounts and are separate and distinct from their official Instagram accounts. While "finsta" accounts are supposed to be used for good, fun things, too often they are used to post incidents of girl drama or to make rude comments about other girls.

 This is so sad!  And so wrong!

 Perhaps you are a victim of cyber-bullying. Perhaps you've felt firsthand the pain of being publicly embarrassed, harassed, and mocked. If so, what can you do?

 1--Tell your parents or another trusted adult that you are being bullied. Many teen girls are afraid to reveal that they are victims of cyber-bullying because they may feel embarrassed. They may also be reluctant to report the bully because they are not sure of the bully's identity or they are afraid of repercussions. But when not confronted, cyber-bullying gets worse, often with tragic results, including suicide. So, don't hesitate! Tell your parents or a trusted teacher or adult friend that you are being bullied.

 Some states have laws against cyber-bullying. If the bullying includes harmful threats, report them to your local police who can often track down the bully. Also, report the bullying to the social media platform on which the bullying occurs. Social media platforms have ways of identifying bullies and blocking them.

 2--Ignore the cyber-bully's lies about you. Yes! That's exactly what they are: lies designed to discourage you and depress you. You are not who people say you are. You are who God says you are, and God says you are His amazing child, loved and accepted by Him (Read Psalm 139). 

 3--Pray for the bully. Cyber-bullies bully because deep down, they are insecure. In order to feel important, they hurt other people. They don't realize that hurting another will only hurt them more. Cyber-bullies are acting under the influence of Satan. As a follower of Jesus, you have authority and power over Satan. You can command him to loose his hold on the cyber-bully, and you can pray that the cyber-bully will come to know Jesus as her Savior and Lord. 
The Bible says this in 1 Peter 3: 9: "Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it." Ask God to give you the opportunity to do something good for the person who is bullying you. For example, when that person has a birthday, post a Happy Birthday greeting on her FB page or send her a birthday card. If you see her at school, do something nice for her, like offering to help her with a subject with which she may be having difficulty. 

If you find that the cyber-bully continues to bully you, then ignore her but continue to pray for her. And always remember that no matter how much you are bullied, the Lord is your Defender.  Read this comforting promise in Psalm 18:

How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. 

The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. 

I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!


Now it's your turn: Have you been cyber-bullied? If so, what have you done to handle the situation?

Please share your insights in the box below. Thanks!

Please tell your family and teen friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!
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Copyright 2019-2021  by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.

If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others! Thanks! 
How too become a Christ-Follower:
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Friday, May 14, 2021

So, Do You Really Want to Commit Suicide?

Suicide is increasing among teenagers at an alarming rate. So, it’s time to take action against suicide and look at it for what it really is: Satan’s attempt to rob you of your God-given destiny. 

 Why is suicide increasing among teens? Because teens see the world as becoming more and more hopeless. They may also be experiencing personal problems that seem hopeless--like strife in the home, parental divorce, overwhelming temptations, identity crises, concern about their futures, and a host of other things that drag them down into depression.

 Suicide is always the result of believing a lie--or more than one. Let’s take a look at some of the lies that lead to teen suicide and the truth that will set you free:

 ---LIE:  Your pain will never go away.

 ---TRUTH: No pain on this earth lasts forever. The only things that will last forever are God and His Word, your spirit and soul, and the virtues of faith, hope, and love. 

 Scripture says this: “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever.  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.  For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4: 17-18)

 ---LIE: Your life is your own. You can do whatever you want with it.

 ---TRUTH:  Your life is not your own. It was bought and paid for by Jesus Christ with His Blood. Therefore, you have no right to take your own life. 

 Scripture says this: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

---LIE: My family and friends will be better off without me.

 ---TRUTH: For every suicide, there will be 13-15 people who are directly affected and whose lives will never be the same. To kill oneself is an extreme act of selfishness
in that the person committing suicide is thinking only of herself.
Scripture says this: "Do nothing from selfishness . . . .” (Philippians 2: 3)

 Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens. Most suicide victims were deeply depressed before killing themselves. Depressed people thing wrong thoughts that contradict God’s Word. Thinking wrong thoughts leads to chemical changes in the body that cause illness.

“Suicide is always the result of believing a lie--or more than one.” ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

If you are struggling with the temptation to kill yourself, consider this:

 1-Jesus loves you and has a great plan for your life. Satan hates you and wants to thwart God’s great plan for you.

 2-You can overcome depression by reading and obeying God’s Word. When you are tempted to be depressed, begin praising God. Satan hates praise directed toward God, so when you praise God, Satan will flee.

 In our next post, I will discuss depression and how to get rid of it.

 Now, it’s YOUR TURN: Have you struggled with thoughts of suicide? Do you have a friend who struggles with such thoughts? Do you know of someone who has committed suicide? How did that person’s suicide affect you? Please post your comment in the box below. Thanks! :)

 TWEETABLE:
“Suicide is always the result of believing a lie--or more than one.” ~ Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)

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Copyright 2016-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved
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Friday, April 16, 2021

ARE YOU FEELING HOPELESS?

Hey, Awesome Teen!

 Are you feeling hopeless today? Are you wanting to give up, throw in the towel, end it all? If so, this blog post is for you!

 Everywhere I turn, I find teens who are feeling hopeless because of everything that is going on in the world. Maybe you're one of them. If so, listen up!

 No matter what situation you're in, there is hope for you!

If your parents have just divorced, there is hope for you!
If your Mom has just died, there is hope for you!
If your Dad committed suicide, there is hope for you!
If your boyfriend just broke up with you, there is hope for you!
If you just got rejected from your favorite college, there is hope for you!
If you're addicted to drugs, there is hope for you!
If you're overweight and struggling to lose weight, there is hope for you!
If you're experiencing panic attacks, there is hope for you.
If you just failed your biology final, there is hope for you.
If you just got a bad medical diagnosis, there's hope for you.
If you hear voices in your head and think you're going crazy, there is hope for you!

No matter what your problem or situation, there is hope for you!

 That hope is Jesus Christ!
You see, hopelessness is a dangerous trap Satan sets for those he wants to destroy. And that includes you! If Satan can steal your hope, then he can overpower you.

 But if you refuse to give up your hope, Satan doesn't stand a chance!




 The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6: 19 that hope is "an anchor for the soul." In other words, hope keeps us stable and positive in the midst of trials. Hope keeps us looking ahead toward a better tomorrow---toward the day when Jesus Christ will return and usher us into the eternal realm where all suffering will end. 

 If, that is, you are born again!

But while we are here on this earth, God wants us not only to survive, but also to thrive. And in order to do so, we must have hope. But our hope must be in the right place.

The only right place for our hope is in Jesus Christ. To hope in anything outside of Christ is to hope in vain, for only Christ is the Solid Rock on which hope can stand.

 Much of our disappointment in life comes from the fact that we have hoped in the wrong thing or the wrong person. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a parent or a friend who has betrayed us or let us down. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a guy or a gal who let us down big-time. Perhaps we have placed our hope in a job or a career, only to be disappointed in that job or that career. 

 Whatever the case, when we place our hope in imperfect human beings or in imperfect human situations, our hope will falter. But when we place our hope in the Perfect God, our hope will never fail.

 In Psalm 39: 7, King David asks this question: “And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?” David answers his own question when he says: “My only hope is in You.”

 David knew that the only safe repository of his hope was God. The same is true for us. When we place our hope in God, we will never be disappointed.

Perhaps you are reading this today, and you are feeling hopeless. Perhaps your life has crumbled, and you don’t know where to turn. Perhaps you have even contemplated suicide or have already made arrangements to kill yourself. If I am talking to you, then I urge you to give yourself another chance.

 You see, Satan wants to destroy you because you have a great purpose in God’s plan, and Satan wants to keep you from fulfilling that purpose. If you were not important to God, Satan would have no need to make you feel hopeless or to try to get you to kill yourself. But you are a threat to Satan, so he wants to eliminate you—to take you out of the picture. He does this by stealing your hope.

 Without hope, we see no reason to go on. So, if Satan can steal your hope, he can steal your future, your blessings, and, yes, even your life.

 God, on the other hand, wants to give you life, not steal it from you. He wants to give you hope and peace and every good thing. But in order to receive the hope that God wants to give you, you must receive it from His hand. You must, in short, come to Him.

 God is waiting for you to do that now.

 Today, if you are feeling hopeless, I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ. He is waiting with open arms for you to turn to Him. He wants to be your Hope. 

 If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I invite you to do so now. Just pray this simple prayer after me:

 Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I admit that I am a sinner in need of Your mercy and grace. I acknowledge that You are the Son of God, that You died for me to pay the penalty for my sin, and that You rose from the dead. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. I receive You as my Hope. Make of me all that You created me to be. Amen.

 If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now a born-again child of God and follower of Jesus Christ. Place your hope in Him. I promise you that you will never be disappointed.

 For more information to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus, I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com.

 Now, it's your turn! Do you ever feel hopeless? If so, what do you do to combat hopelessness?

 Please share your insights in the box below. Thanks!

Please tell your family and teen friends about this blog and please pass this post on to them. Thank you!

Hugs,

Dr. MaryAnn










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Copyright 2000-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved. This article may not be published or printed in any form whatsoever without the written permission of Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. You may contact her at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com to request permission.
If you enjoyed this blog, please forward it to your family and friends. Spread the Word of God and be a blessing to others! Thanks! 
You can find me on the following Social Media Venues:
Website: www.maryanndiorio.com
Truth-to-Teens Blog: truth-to-teens.blogspot.com
Disclaimer: This site uses cookies. Your continued use of this site constitutes your consent to our use of cookies.
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Copyright 2001-2021 by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA.  All Rights Reserved.

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Friday, April 9, 2021

How to Defeat Depression

Hey, Awesome Teens!

Are you depressed? Are you feeling hopeless about your future? Are you suicidal?

Today, we're going to tackle depression. Yes, tackle it! :)  If you're depressed, or if you've ever experienced depression, then you'll want to pay close attention.
What is depression? Depression is a loss of hope accompanied by feelings of dejection, dread, and despair. When we feel depressed, we feel not only hopeless, but we also feel helpless.

 While all of us get depressed once in a while, an emotional state is characterized as depression when it lasts for two weeks or more.

 So, what are some of the signs of depression? Here are a few:




1---Feeling sad continually.
2---Loss of interest in activities that you used to find enjoyable.
3---Insomnia or sleeping too much.
4---Loss of appetite or eating too much.
5---Constant fatigue.
6---Trouble concentrating or focusing.
7---Difficulty making decisions.
8---Feeling worthless.
9---Thoughts of suicide.
10--Feeling hopeless that things will ever change.
If you've experienced any of the above for longer than two weeks straight, you may be suffering from depression.

 So, what should you do?
1--Go to God with your depression. Ask for His help. He is your Healer, and He will lead you out of depression.

 2--Talk to your parents or a trusted adult about how you feel. Sharing your feelings with someone who loves you will go far in helping you to overcome depression. 
3---Analyze your thoughts. Yes, depression is largely rooted in wrong thinking. If you are believing a lie, that lie could make you depressed. So, identify any lies you are believing and then renounce them and replace them with the truth.
4--Discover truth in God's Word. God's Word is Truth. It alone will help you recognize a lie. Any belief that does not agree with what God says about you in His Word is a lie. As you study God's Word, truth will replace the lie. And it is the truth that will set you free from depression (John 8: 32).

 5--Praise God continually. The Bible tells us that praising God drives out depression (Isaiah 61: 3). So begin praising God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

 When Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead, He defeated depression. Receive Him into your life today and He will give you His joy. Then watch depression leave your life! 

How to Receive Jesus as Your Savior and Lord

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Copyright 2018-2021 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.
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Friday, September 4, 2015

Suicide: Life’s Biggest Cop-Out

Hey, Gabriel Girls! You’ve probably already figured out that on this blog, we talk about all kinds of things. And we aren’t afraid to talk about serious topics that teen girls face.

 So, today, we’re going to talk about suicide.  Why? Because suicide is a serious problem among teenagers. Most likely, you have heard of someone who has committed suicide. Maybe you even knew someone who committed suicide.  Or, worse yet, you yourself may have thought of committing suicide. 

Fotolia File: #70205439 | Author: enterlinedesign
According to a report issued by the World Health Organization in 2014, suicide is the number one cause of death worldwide among older teenage girls. That means suicide is a pretty big problem, and we need to talk about it.

 Why do teens commit suicide? The main reason is that they have lost all hope. Why have they lost all hope? Because they don’t think their lives have meaning.  

 Why don’t they think their lives have meaning? Well, one big reason is that they’ve been taught the theory of evolution that says we come from monkeys. And, if a teen believes she comes from a monkey, she’ll never feel important and special.

 The truth is that you are made in the image of God. That means you have great, great worth. It means you have a special purpose, a purpose no one else can fulfill but you.

 You did not come from a monkey, no matter what your biology teacher taught you in school. You were created directly by God. You are not an animal. You are a human being.

 God put you on this earth for a reason. You have great value in His eyes, and He has special plans for your life.  He says so in Jeremiah 29:11:  “My plans for you are for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

 God wants you to have hope, and He wants you to have a good future. That hope and that good future come only from knowing Jesus Christ and developing a deep relationship with Him. No matter what is going on in your life, Jesus is there for you.

 So, if thoughts of suicide come your way, realize that they are coming from Satan. Realize that suicide is the biggest cop-out in the world. 

 If you’re feeling depressed, talk to someone about how you’re feeling. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I’ll be happy to listen. 
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Source cited: http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2014/adolescent-suicide.aspx

 If you enjoyed this post, please tell your teenage girlfriends about the Gabriel Girls. Thanks!
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Copyright 2015 by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio. All Rights Reserved.

To Become a Gabriel Girl, you need to qualify as follows:
  • You need to be born again. This means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and the Lord of your life.If you don't know how to do this, click here.
  • You need to have a desire to tell others about Jesus wherever you go and whenever you can.
  • You need to commit to following Jesus by reading the Bible and praying every day and by obeying Jesus' command to love Him and to love your neighbor.
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