Did you know suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 24?
As a parent or guardian, this is enough to send a chill down your spine. If your teenager is contemplating suicide, you need to know how to handle the situation. Parents play a very important role in preventing teenage suicide.
Read on to find out more about teenage suicide and how you can prevent it.
Don’t Let the Problem Get Out of Control
If you think your teen is suicidal, ensure that you catch the problem early so that it doesn’t snowball out of control.
There is a difference between your child just having a bad day and having several bad days consecutively. Even if they don’t tell you, there are still some signs that may show you that something is off.
For example, if your teen is depressed, they may isolate themselves. They may want to ask for help but don’t have the courage to. Boys, even more than girls, may be more likely to hide their emotions and true feelings due to social stigmas.
If you think your child is feeling depressed or has issues, try reaching out to them instead of waiting for them to reach out to you.
Encourage Them to Express Their Emotions
Learning more about child psychology and how teens work will help you know how to encourage your kids to express their emotions so you know how they’re feeling.
Some teenagers will hide their emotions or show them in an explosive, unhealthy way. Instead of berating them for their moodiness, try and encourage them and celebrate when they feel happy and productive.
Ensure they know you’re okay with them showing positive and negative emotions.
Never Shrug It Off
Never shrug off if they approach you with their feelings or thoughts of suicide.
Any mentions of suicide need to be taken seriously. Understand that they’re not going through a phase, and this is their actual cry for help.
Suggest Exercising
Exercising can be a great coping mechanism and will also help to boost their mood. Exercising releases endorphins, which can help balance out the chemicals in their brain that are making them depressed and suicidal.
Keep in mind that it won’t be a perfect fix, but it’s something that can help them.
Spend Time With Them
Lastly, spend quality time with them.
Most teenagers may be in the phase where they don’t want anything to do with their parents, but you should try and reach out and have a relationship with them. If you spend time with them, you will build a closer, trusting relationship with them.
If they trust you, they might be more comfortable coming to you when something is wrong.
Preventing Teenage Suicide: Be Proactive
These are only a few tips on preventing teenage suicide, but there are many more. If you think your child has issues and you don’t feel well-equipped to handle them, you can always turn to professional help.
If you found this article informative, explore our blog for more.
