Teen Suicide: What Are Warning Signs?

The
third most common cause of death among young people aged 15 to 24 is suicide.
CDC data suggests that:

• Suicide
  is four times more likely to kill boys than girls.
• Girls
  attempt suicide more frequently than guys do.
• Over 50% of student suicides contain a gun.

Teens
who attempt or die by suicide frequently suffer from mental health issues.
They consequently struggle to handle the pressures of being an
adolescent, such as coping with rejection, disappointment, failed relationships,
academic challenges, and family conflict. They might also be unable to recognize
that they have the power to change their circumstances and that suicide is a
long-term response rather than a momentary fix to a problem. Learn more about teen suicide issues from the best Clinical Psychologist near me
at TalktoAngel.

Signs and symptoms of teen suicide

• Sadness
  (with or without weeping) (or without crying)
• Anxiety
• Lack
  of motivation or energy
• Temper
  Tantrums and violent outbursts
• Easily
  annoyed
• Sleeping
  too much or too little
• Lack
  of appetite, excessive eating, or both
• Withdrawal
  from family and friends
• Loss
  of interest in normally enjoyable activities (including school activities)
• Emotions
  of dread (even if there is no conscious reason)
• Intense
  remorse or shameful feelings
• Inability
  to pay attention
• Bad
  memory
• A
  rise in alcohol or drug consumption
• Decreased
  grades
• Skipping
  lessons or school
• Self-deprecating
  statements
• Feeling
  unable to influence a situation
• There
  is a thought that nothing is going to improve
• Observation(s)
  on death or dying
• Writing,
  creating art or enjoying music that deals with gloom, violence, or death

• Making
  a suicide threat

Risk factors for teen suicide

• having mental illness, such as oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder,
  depression,
  or anxiety
  problem
• Past
  experience with physical or sexual abuse, violence, or bullying
• A
  problem with substance
  abuse
• Having
  access to resources like medicine or weaponry
• Disclosure
  of a family member or a friend’s suicide
• Loss
  of, or disagreements with, close friends or relatives
• physical
  or physiological conditions, such as those brought on by puberty or a
  persistent sickness
• Family
  history of psychotic depression & suicide
• Being
  a young person who is homosexual,
  lesbian, bisexual, or another sexual minority
• Being
  an adopted child
• Breakup
  in Teenage Love
• Separation
  & Divorce of Parents
• Having
  a gun in the family
• Imprisonment
• Adolescent
  Depression

How is a teen’s suicidal behavior diagnosed?

Suicide
threats are a cry for assistance. We always take such claims, ideas, actions, or
plans extremely seriously. Any youngster who is having suicidal thoughts should
be evaluated as soon as their parents become aware of them. Speak with the doctor
who treats your teen. Teens who have attempted suicide should get a physical
examination first to rule out any serious health issues. Then, until he or she
reaches a stable state, they should receive a mental health assessment and
treatment. For the child’s safety, this frequently occurs at an inpatient
facility. 

Tips to support your teen

• Keep the door open. Remind
  them that you are accessible for conversation at any time and that they can
  rely on you. Inform them that if any of their peers exhibit suicidal behavior,
  they should come to you as a trusted adult.
• Don’t criticize; just empathize.
  Let them know that you are sympathetic and that you recognize how tough their situation is. Appreciate their faith in you.
• Don’t downplay how they are feeling.
  Stay away from expressions like “Just be positive” and “Keep
  going.” Instead, respond, “How can I help you? You’ve got this. ”
• Talk about suicide and mental health. Stop
  waiting for your teen to approach you. Ask what went wrong and offer your
  assistance if you’re teen
  seems to be struggling or is sad, anxious, depressed, or struggling.
• Be considerate, compassionate, aware, and watchful of your child as they
  might be showing some suicidal warning signs and symptoms. Be watchful of the
  actions and behavior your child is going through, be patient, and listen
  to what they say. Don’t ignore the threats, calling it a drama.
• Encourage the community.
  Encourage your teen to interact with encouraging family members and friends.
• Promote leading a healthy lifestyle.
  Encourage your teen to eat healthily, exercise, and get enough sleep.
• Support the course of treatment or teen therapy.
  Help the teen in taking counseling sessions and ask them if they feel much
  better with therapy if they want to go for one. Encourage your teen to abide
  with the advice of his or her physician. Encourage your teen to take part in
  activities that will boost confidence as well.
• Support System at School & College: There
  are a number of problems
  young adolescents going through in school or college,
  which need immediate attention from the educational authorities. The support
  system at the school for mental health awareness, suicide prevention,
  identification of crucial incident and crisis intervention units, or engagement
  of online mental health counseling platforms would be of great help in reducing the incidence of suicide amongst teens.

Feel
free to seek Online Counselling
from the best online counselor
at TalktoAngel
Asia’s No. 1 Teen Counselling
and Kid Care Platform.

 

If
there are any warning signs please do not ignore them to ensure that the child or teen
receives immediate medical attention, there are a number of organizations that can
be contacted, these are mentioned below:

1. iCALL Hours: Mon—Sat, 10 AM—8 PM. Languages:
English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil.  9152987821

2. KIRAN –
1800-599-0019 24*7 Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline

3. SAATH – +91-79
26305544, 26300222/saath12@yahoo.com

4. CADABAMS HOSPITAL
– 096111 94949/+91-9741 476 476

5. AASRA – +91 98204
66726

 

 Contributed
By: Dr (Prof) R K Suri
& DR. Sakshi Kochhar