Nationally, teen suicide rates have been on the rise for several years. Teens today experience increased stress in school and at home. While many teens learn positive ways to cope with the stresses of everyday life, others succumb to depression and hopelessness. If you are concerned that your troubled teen might be suicidal, take action to intervene early.
If your child struggles with mental health issues that are beyond what you can handle, you may need to seek outside help. Some teens need advanced help from trained counselors at a residential treatment center or therapeutic boarding school. Schools like Liahona Treatment Center specialize in helping boys recover from suicidal thoughts and actions. If you notice the signs of suicidal thoughts in your child, reach out for help.
Signs Of Suicidal Thoughts
If your troubled teen starts to show signs of suicidal thoughts, get help immediately. Some of the signs include:
- Substance abuse
- Participating in dangerous activities
- Behaving impulsively
- Significant mood swings
- No longer finding joy in activities that they used to enjoy
- Withdrawing from people they love
- Giving away their possessions
- Saying goodbye to the people they love
If you have a suicidal child, act quickly to get help. You can call the Suicide Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you would prefer to chat with someone online, you can contact them on their website. Whether calling or chatting, they will connect you with a counselor who will help your child through their suicide crisis.
How To Help Your Suicidal Child
If your child is displaying the signs of suicidal thoughts, it’s time to talk to them about what’s going on. There are five steps recommended by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Ask
Ask your child if they are thinking of killing themselves. When having this conversation, remain calm and try not to interject your thoughts initially. Give them the chance to tell you how they feel and why they feel that way. It will likely be hard to hear, but they will need your support.
Be There
Be there for them as they go through the crisis. Provide support by listening to their feelings and finding a professional to help them. Make sure that you follow through with any promises that you make. They need to be able to count on you.
Keep Them Safe
Keep them safe by removing the means of suicide. Ask them if they have a specific plan for how they will kill themself. If they do have a specific plan, try to remove the means. If they don’t have a specific plan, try to remove things that they could easily and impulsively use to harm themselves.
Help Them Connect
Help them connect with mental health professionals and other positive support systems. As their parent, you will likely need to make most of these connections for them and might need to bring them to their therapy sessions. If the crisis is severe, you may need to consider a residential treatment center or therapeutic boarding school for long-term care.
Follow Up
Follow up with your teen after the initial crisis is over. Ask how they are doing and let them know that you care. Knowing that you are consistently there for them and that you regularly think about them can reinforce positive connections that reduce the likelihood of suicide.
Finding Help For Your Suicidal Child
As you’re looking for help for your troubled teen son, consider Liahona Residential Treatment Center. With trained therapists and counselors who specialize in treating troubled teen boys with suicidal thoughts, your son will get the attention that he needs to overcome his suicidal thoughts.
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