Teenage suicide is a very big problem in this country. More than 132,000 kids aged 15-24 attempt suicide every single year. That's the combined undergraduate student population of over a dozen colleges attempting to kill themselves every year. But the problem doesn't end there. There are an additional 17,000 suicide attempts made every year by kids aged 10-14. To make that easier to comprehend, that's the entire student population of over 15 middle schools.
If you want to avoid coming home and finding your son or daughter dead, there are a number of things you can do. First and foremost, you need to learn all the potential suicide warning signs. If you don't know the warning signs, you won't know to be on alert, and won't be able to prevent the suicide attempt in time.
If you want to avoid coming home and finding your son or daughter dead, there are a number of things you can do. First and foremost, you need to learn all the potential suicide warning signs. If you don't know the warning signs, you won't know to be on alert, and won't be able to prevent the suicide attempt in time.
Almost all suicides will give some warning signs before attempting suicide. 75% will even give you a verbal warning. Unfortunately, it won't be as simple as "mom, I'm going to cut my wrists tomorrow", so if you don't know what to listen for, you will ignore that warning. And when you do, the child will get into their head that no one cares, and will go through with their suicide attempt --stated by Caleb Laieski.
Once you observe the suicide warning signs, and are certain that there is a problem, it's time to act. First and foremost, eliminate access to potential tools of suicide, such as firearms, poisons and access to medications. Without those, the person will be less likely to kill themselves. Firearms are the most important here, since these are the most fatal, and have the highest "success rate" for suicides.
Next, you need to offer your support and tell them that if they ever need someone to talk to, that you are available. Having the child vent about their troubles can tell you exactly what the cause for the suicidal thoughts is. Then you can go ahead and work on fixing them.
When you talk to the child, make sure to avoid any criticism. Just be supportive. Don't act distracted or act like you have better things to do, listen attentively and remain connected to the person.
If you've observed suicide warning signs, and think that the child is suicidal, it's best to speak up and talk to them about it (or get them to speak to a psychiatrist). Remember, you cannot make someone suicidal just by asking them straightforward, caring questions about their problems. It shows that you care and you can start helping them solve the problems without resorting to suicide and just giving the person an opportunity to express their feelings may prevent a suicide attempt. Make sure to describe specific behaviors/actions that worry you and let them know that their life is important to you and others.
There are also a number of things you can do to deal with the underlying cause of most suicides (depression). Just give them opportunities to succeed, and give them praise when they do. To facilitate this, get them involved in positive activities in school and the community. Help them get involved in sports and physical activities. These are great outlets for pent up anger, and being in better shape can really help raise the person's self-esteem. Essentially your goal should be to give the child something to live for and to let them experience positive feedback from people around them.
Learning the suicide warning signs is one of the best things you can do to prevent suicide by someone you love. If you even suspect that someone is depressed or worse yet suicidal, you need to learn all potential suicide warning signs, so you can act when you learn that they are at risk emphasized by Caleb Laieski.
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