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When we are in our teen years people are at their most impressionable and emotional upheaval is more likely. In today’s society teens far more pressure than ever before from society, schools, peers, parents and more. What might seem small to parents, can actually feel large and like something they cannot handle to the teen. It can be a trigger point. Then you add in things like anxiety or depression and things can get even worse. When you look at the deaths of teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and 24, the third leading cause is suicide. Many turn to solutions such as unsafe sex, alcohol, drug abuse and self-harming as a way to fix themselves or manage their pain, but these things just then make things worse, and the short temporary escape they give is not enough. That is why communities and especially parents need access to decent suicide prevention resources. Suicide can be prevented, depression can be treated It is important that teens and parents know that the above statement is true. With the right education and recognition of warning signs, they can prevent suicide. With the right resources and professional help, depression can be treated. Ignoring signs of either or both will not mean they will go away or cure themselves though. Parents can help by getting suicide prevention training, schools can help doing the same and making sure counsellors are available, and referrals need to be made to professionals if needed. Parents are in the best position to see the early signs As well as knowing the symptoms or signs to look for you need to educate yourself on how to handle it. There is a certain way to talk with your teen so that you and they communicate clearly without making things worse. Things like being very withdrawn, not wanting to do sports or hobbies, not wanting to see friends they once had, not doing well in school, being bullied, and not looking after themselves, are some of the things to look for. If you are worried you should remove or hide weapons in the home, make efforts to talk to them, and consult with experts who can help. Use suicide prevention resources, tell them you are there no matter what. If you are worried about bringing up the subject directly use a new story or a film or book they know to reference. Or even make up something from your teens to open up a dialogue with them. Do not dismiss them It is important not to trivialize their pain or their problem. Listen more than talk as much as you can. You cannot see things from their perspective they are going through physical and hormonal changes that changes how they see and feel things. Yes, some of the problems they are seeing might not be there, or not as large as they see it, but you cannot say that, for them, it is that big so that is what matters. It might be that they can talk things through more easily with a peer. It would help to give several people suicide prevention training so that more than one person in their world has the tools to help them.
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