There was a report today that a local 17 year old committed suicide. It wasn't too long ago that a 13 year old committed suicide locally. While we might not want to believe that a child (or anyone, for that matter) could be in that much pain, clearly they can be.
I hope and pray that I am never faced with needing to prevent a teen suicide but I have spent some time reading about it because of the mental illness in our family.
Here are some things that you can do.
If your teenager has been depressed, you should look closely for signs that he or she might be thinking of suicide:
- Has his personality changed dramatically?
- Is he having trouble with a girlfriend (or, for girls, with a boyfriend)? Or is he having trouble getting along with other friends or with parents? Has he withdrawn from people he used to feel close to?
- Is the quality of his schoolwork going down? Has he failed to live up to his own or someone else's standards (when it comes to school grades, for example)?
- Does he always seem bored, and is he having trouble concentrating?
- Is he acting like a rebel in an unexplained and severe way?
- Is she pregnant and finding it hard to cope with this major life change?
- Has he run away from home?
- Is your teen-ager abusing drugs and/or alcohol?
- Is she complaining of headaches, stomachaches, etc., that may or may not be real?
- Have his eating or sleeping habits changed?
- Has his or her appearance changed for the worse?
- Is he giving away some of his most prized possessions?
- Is he writing notes or poems about death?
- Does he talk about suicide, even jokingly? Has he said things such as, "That's the last straw," "I can't take it anymore," or "Nobody cares about me?" (Threatening to kill oneself precedes four out of five suicidal deaths.)
- Has he tried to commit suicide before?
If you suspect that your teenager might be thinking about suicide, do not remain silent. Suicide is preventable, but you must act quickly.
- Ask your teenager about it. Don't be afraid to say the word "suicide." Getting the word out in the open may help your teenager think someone has heard his cries for help.
- Reassure him that you love him. Remind him that no matter how awful his problems seem, they can be worked out, and you are willing to help.
- Ask her to talk about her feelings. Listen carefully. Do not dismiss her problems or get angry at her.
- Remove all lethal weapons from your home, including guns, pills, kitchen utensils and ropes.
- Seek professional help. Ask your teenager's pediatrician to guide you. A variety of outpatient and hospital-based treatment programs are available.
Don't be afraid to ask questions . . . asking someone who is suicidal about suicide will not plant the idea. Ask them if they have a plan? If they have a plan, there is a much deeper concern.
Seek help. Don't be embarrassed. Talk to a school counselor or teacher. Talk to your pastor or priest.
Most importantly, follow your gut instinct. If you think something is wrong, don't ignore it.
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/childhealthmonth/prevteensuicide.htm
