Teen suicide is something we are very uncomfortable talking about. Prevention is the key.

Listen to your teenager. Is he or she saying, “I wish I were dead,” “I would be better off dead,” etc.? Do not ignore these kinds of statements. Your teenager is reaching out for help. Something is wrong and you need to take action.

Talk to your teen. Ask them what is going on in their lives. Issues he or she may be having include:

 

Signs of suicide:

  • Giving possessions to others
  • Saying good bye to family and friends
  • Talking about dying or committing suicide
  • Writing about dying or suicide
  • Talking about going away
  • Having a personality change
  • Behavior changes such as self-destructive behaviors: substance abuse, cutting, heavy use of alcohol
  • Losing interest in activities they once enjoyed
  • Withdrawing and wanting to be alone
  • Talking about feeling hopeless or guilty

 

These are just some of the signs a teenager may show if they are thinking about suicide. Some teenagers show no signs before making a suicide attempt.

Do not ignore the signs. Do not let your teen become a suicide statistic.

Reference:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000648.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001554.htm