Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers 63 SUICIDE IN CHILDREN AND YOUTH: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS Summary: When individuals are overwhelmed, whether by life stresses, or by conditions such as depression, they may turn to suicide as a way of coping. And although it is scary, the good news is that ultimately the person is trying to cope. Family and friends are absolutely critical, and can offer support in many ways, such as by spending time with the person, listening and validating the person, and helping ensure that the person seek professional help. What is Suicide? Suicide is the act of ending one's life. People can get thoughts about committing suicide for many reasons, such as when a person is under so many stresses that they become overwhelmed and cannot cope. Typical stresses may include: • Home stress, such as conflict/disagreements with mother, father, siblings... • School stress such as problems with friends, schoolwork, teachers, bullies... • Work stress such as problems with coworkers, bosses, workload... • Other problems such as depression, anxiety, substance use People can feel suicidal when they feel 1) disconnected from other people, 2) helpless to deal with their stress, and/or 3) hopeless that their stress will improve. Thus, one way to help a young person who is feeling suicidal is to help 1) them feel connected again, and/or 2) overcome helplessness by giving them a sense of control, and/or 3) give them a sense of hope. Warning Signs for Suicide The following is a list of signs that may indicate someone is thinking about suicide. If your child exhibits only one or two things on this list, then it is probably not a big concern, but you would be much more worried if your child exhibits several of these warning signs: • Your child expresses feelings of worthlessness, such as, "I'm no good to anybody." • Your child talks about suicide and about what it would be like if things end. He or she may make comments such as, "When I'm gone ..." or ask questions such as, "What would it be like if I wasn't around?" • Your child becomes preoccupied with giving away or distributing his/her possessions. • Your child shows hopelessness about the future, saying things such as, "What's the use?” ►
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==