Worthlessness. 

Hopelessness.

Guilt. 

Shame. 

Depression.

Peer pressure.

Academic pressure. 

Parental expectation.

Sports expectation.

Music expectation.

They might feel like there’s no hope for the future or feel like a burden to others.

They might talk a lot about dying or harming themselves or say things like, "Everyone would be better off without me." or "I wish I had never been born."

They might look for things that can be used to hurt themselves such as weapons or drugs.

They might push family and friends away and stop caring about things.

They might seem depressed, anxious, or angry.

They might show big changes in their eating and sleeping habits. 

They might feel like there is no way out of their problems and they may be suicidal. 

YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND SUICIDE AND HOW TO RESPOND:

A suicidal crisis may be brief, sometimes lasting as little as ten minutes. Experts agree simple steps can help save lives. Ask the person directly if they are considering suicide and stay with them if they say yes. Listen with empathy, create a safe environment by removing lethal means from the home and get help from a medical professional.

Preventing Suicide: What Families Need to Know:

You need to know that you are doing everything you can do and learning everything you can learn about suicide in order to find out about it.

You need to become the go to person for other parents.

The biggest mistake we make is to presume that everything is okay.

I don’t know about you but as a teenager I got into a lot of trouble that my parents did not know about.

Presumption:

Presumption is the mother of all lies.

Presumption is the lie that we all fall for.

Presumption is taking it for granted.

Presumption is thinking that they are not on drugs.

Presumption is thinking that they are not having sex.

Presumption is that she is not pregnant.

Presumption is that they are liked at school.

Presumption is what ever you allow it to be.

Presumption is not thinking. 

 

Suicide is the second most common cause of death amongst teenagers. 

It's important to recognise warning signs in order to prevent suicide in children and teens.

Identifying kids at the risk for suicide can look very different for every young person.  

SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Check text messages.

Check their emails.

Check their facebook messages regularly.

They are functioning very well and no one has any idea that they’re suffering.

Cases when there are teens that have more clear risk factors and may have a history of depression. 

There can be diverse array of how teens are in distress and by paying attention you can change their behaviour and it will become a real key to their survival.

You should ask him or her a bit more and dig a little deeper, instead of shrugging things off and thinking they are exhibiting normal behaviour.

Ask the question, "Are you thinking about suicide?" Asking the question does not rase the risk for any individual; in fact, people that know their relatives and parents also know their children so well that they are the experts here and can identify if there is a change that seems like it’s more than momentary.

Kids that are feeling suicidal will often tell a friend but friends often don’t know what to do with that information.

One part of suicide prevention is telling your kids that if a friend tells them that they are feeling depressed or feeling suicidal, that they should speak up. 

Kids need to know that if they are ever put into that situation that they need to tell someone immediately and not to be afraid of any consequences. It is better to have a friend that cares enough to help that friend and speak up then to carry that for the rest of their lives. 

Kids should never be afraid to tell adults that they are concerned about a friend.

Parents will say that all social media is a private matter but what do you want? Do you want your child to live or to die?

If parents are concerned about their child routinely attempting suicide then one of the really critical things is to reduce access to lethal means.  

ABOUT THE WARNING SIGNS: 

The first thing you need to know is that all warning signs are the first step to preventing suicide. Most people show one or more warning signs so it is important to know the signs and take them seriously. This is especially relevant if a behaviour is new or has increased and if it seems related to a painful event, loss or change. 

These warning signs may not signal an emergency situation but are signs that a person may be in need of help. 

The following is a list of emergency warning signs that require immediate action. 

WARNING SIGNS:

Withdrawing from family and friends. 

Unusual neglect of personal appearance.

Hopelessness.

Isolation or loneliness.

Frequent complaints about physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches or fatigue etc.

Significant personality changes.

Dramatic mood changes.

Loss of interest in pleasurable activities.  

Increasing use of alcohol or drugs.

Putting his or her affairs in order. 

(For example; giving away favorite possessions or throwing away important belongings etc.)

They did not come home when they said they would. 

Becoming sobbingly cheerful after a period of depression.

Threating self-harm or suicide or talking about death or suicide.

Seeking weapons or means to self-harm.

Mental health problems or signs of suicidal tendencies.  

Teen depression or self-harm.

Subtle signs and being grumpy. 

Not letting you into the room. 

Showing signs that they are not mentally well. Changes in their behaviour.

PAINFUL EVENTS, RISK FACTORS & SIGNS:

Death of a family love one.

Death of a family pet. 

Death of a friend, especially if by suicide.

Break-up of a romance or friendship.

Parental divorce or problems in a parent-child relationship.

Substance abuse, especially if untreated or undiagnosed.

Physical, sexual or emotional abuse.

Bullying or discrimination. 

Problems at school or work.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK:

 
Remember; no one will be mad because you care about them or love them. 

Are you thinking about suicide?

Do you have a plan? Do you know how you would do it?

When was the last time you thought about suicide?

TELL SOMEONE LIKE AN ADULT:

Suicide needs to be taken seriously every time and adults need to know.

You may think that you and your friends can get through anything together but when suicide is involved then an adult needs to know.  

There are good people who can help.

A Teacher.

A Counselor.

A Coach.

A Parent.

The Police.

If you or someone you know is currently in crisis, please use the resources below:  

You Are Not Alone. 

Support is Available. 

Australia crisis services available 24/7:

Suicide Prevention Australia 

https://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/contact/ 

Lifeline 13 11 14

https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 4 67

https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/  

Beyond blue 1300 224 636

Support after suicide 1300 727 247

https://standbysupport.com.au/ 

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/suicide