How to Recognize a Suicidal Teen-ager
To recognize a suicidal teen-ager, you just have to scrape away some of your denial and tune into what your stomach is trying to tell you. Our bodies often sense when a teen-ager is in a dark place and may be thinking about suicide. Many potentially suicidal teens make us feel physically nervous—we may feel uneasiness in our stomachs, necks or throats or get a headache. Sometimes we can be fooled but, more often than not, when we feel are worried about a teen-ager, there is usually something to be concerned about.
When we feel uneasy around a potentially suicidal teen our initial response is usually that of confusion and a feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. We want to know if he is self-destructive, but are afraid to know. Or we want to ask him about our concerns but do not want to provoke him. We often feel there is no way to talk to him or get him to open up.
What are clues that you should LOOK and LISTEN for to tell that you might be dealing with a potentially suicidal teen-ager? The more of these that are present, the more possible that she is feeling suicidal.
What to LOOK for:
- Isolates self from friends and family
- Exhibits personality and behavior changes
- Has declining performance in school
- Tends to try to skip out on school
- Shows negativity towards self and world
- Shows a lack of energy or enthusiasm and/or is very irritable
- Seems unable to concentrate or sit still
- No longer cares about friends, hobbies or school
- Tends to sleep more or have extreme difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
- Loses weight or gains a significant amount of weight
- Uses drugs or alcohol to numb pain
- Is increasingly attracted to dark and depressing music and movies
- Gives away prized possessions
- Hides rope, knife, pills or gun
- Visits Internet sites having to do with suicide or death-related subjects
- Does not make any plans for school breaks or summer vacations
- Has a history of suicide attempts
What to LISTEN for:
- Talks about feeling different from everybody
- Talks about thoughts of ending life
- Talks about life not being worth living
- Talks about death, dying or life after death
- Hints that he will not be around in the future
- Talks about hopelessness or how everything is pointless
- Is cynical and sarcastic about almost everything
Other factors that increase suicidal risk:
- Loss of an important relationship, such as a boyfriend or girlfriend
- Poor grades and fear of parent disapproval
- Divorced home
- Alcohol and drug abuse by teen or parents
- Physical or emotional abuse or neglect
- Continuous tension in the home, where teen feels resentment towards overbearing parent and contempt mixed with pity towards submissive parent
- Family history of suicide or suicide attempts
If you feel a person you care about may be suicidal, seek professional help immediately.
ã 2000 Lifescape
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