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Welcome to the February 2002 Edition of the SportsMedicine Advantage, the official Newsletter of South Florida Institute of Sports Medicine.

What's News

Our construction of our new office in Tamarac is moving along smoothly. We hope to be open within the next 45 days. Our modern facility will be bringing our orthopaedics, podiatry and rehabilitation together for a comprehensive care center for musculoskeletal injuries. As construction continues, look for a definitive date of opening.

We are in the final stages of posting content to a section of our website that we are very excited about- our Arthroscopy Suite Page. On these pages, people will have the opportunity to view various arthroscopic procedures, such as ankle, knee, toe, shoulder and subtalar joint arthroscopy. We will also be adding live video of other surgical procedures as the website continues to grow.

Please visit
http://www.listrak.com/c.asp?ltk=15022_962640 and click on Arthroscopy Suite to view this state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgical procedure.

Monthly Focus

Our topic this month is one we don't like to chat about over the dinner table, but is a huge reality in this country- Teen Suicide.

This excerpt from a recent article discusses teen suicide statistics, reasons for this act, signs of a teen troubled by possible thoughts on suicide and what can be done to help.

Suicide among young people has increased dramatically in recent decades, becoming the second leading cause of death in college students, the third leading cause of death in 15-24 year-olds, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-14 year-olds. Since 1950, the suicide rate for white males aged 15-24 has tripled, while for white females it has more than doubled. From 1980-1996, the suicide rate for African-American males has also more than doubled.

Why do young people commit suicide?
Many factors can trigger suicide in young people, including:

Depression
Alcohol or drug abuse
Family problems such as divorce, domestic violence, or family instability
Stressful life events like breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a death of a family member
Issues about Sexual Orientation

Signs a person may be suicidal:

Changes in eating and/or sleeping habits
Withdrawal from family and friends and disinterest in previously enjoyable activities
Drug and alcohol use
Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, boredom, and restlessness, difficulty concentrating, decline in quality of schoolwork
Complaints about physical ailments, such as stomach aches, headaches, or fatigue
Giving away possessions

What can be done to help?

Many young people who contemplate suicide have a treatable psychiatric disorder such as depression or substance abuse

If a friend or loved one talks about suicide or shows signs of being suicidal, take it seriously. Listen and allow the person to express his or her feelings. Talk calmly about such feelings, and do not lecture about reasons to live. Reassure the person that people care and want to help.

Getting treatment is very important. Encourage the person to get help immediately from a specialist in mental health care and, if necessary, accompany the patient to the appointment.

Be sure there are no lethal weapons or potentially lethal medications in the person's home.

Considering the events that have occured in the past 6 months, the world we live in with so much information in front of us to (supposedly) help us make decisions, social, academic, and athletic pressures upon our youth, the concept of identifying and helping prevent tragic events such as suicide is more immenent than ever.We at South Florida Institute of Sports Medicine felt that this topic should be brought to the attention of our readers. Listed below are services that can be of help. Until next E Newsletter, be well.

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