Today
is world Suicide Prevention Day - this day is an awareness day observed on 10th
September every year, in order to provide worldwide commitment and action to
prevent suicides.
But do we really need a day to prove or show our commitment
towards suicide? However, this is an international initiative to help spread
awareness and prevent suicides. Every year, an unimaginable 800,000 people die
by their own hands while twenty five times more than this number attempt
suicide.
Providing a stable, safe physical and emotional home
environment.
This
may seem obvious but unfortunately this is not always the case as exemplified
by the problem of homeless youths. With many families breaking up and dispute
over the custody and access of children, the teenager may become the
"pawn" of the parental battle.
Spending quality time with young people.
"Quality
time" is a cliche frequently used in child rearing literature and it is
met with a certain degree of cynicism. However, a good relationship between a
youth and his/her parents cannot occur unless they spend time together. It is
common to hear parents and teenagers talk about their constant arguments about
everything. The amount of time spent in conflict is huge. Why not spend some of
this time having fun together?
LISTENING to teenagers, not only to what is being said,
but also to the covert messages.
Teenagers
commonly complain that their parents are keen to give advice but they don't
listen to their points of view. Messages sent by teenagers may at times be
tangential, contradicting and confusing. Parents will need to
"de-code" these scrambled messages to get in touch with their
children's feelings. In many instances this may mean an interpretation of their
body language. Non-verbal action can "talk" much louder than
conversational language.
Being supportive and not intrusive.
There
is a fine line between being supportive and being intrusive. It is important
for parents to acknowledge the upset and distress shown by their teenage
children, but not interrogating and demanding to know the "secrets"
of their distress. Teenagers will generally talk to their parents about their
problems when they are ready. Respect the fact that they can solve many
problems on their own without the support of others. Support is there for them
to use but it must not be imposed on them.
Encouraging the appropriate expression of emotions
Many
teenagers tend to either hide their emotions or they show them in an explosive
manner, thus leading to their parents' comments about their moodiness.
Encourage them to show and share their feelings of joy, happiness, excitement
in their successes. They can then show and share their sadness, anxiety,
distress and disappointment. Both "positive" and "negative"
feelings must be contained so that they are not running wild and out of
control.
Early Intervention in Stressful
Situations
Severe
emotional symptoms are frequently found in individuals facing or following
significant life events. Youths facing court appearances, family break-up,
important examinations or those who have been sexually abused, expelled from
school, rejected by love ones are a few examples of common stressful situations
to which young people are subjected.
Support
from parents and others is particularly important to prevent despair and
suicidal ideation. This can be achieved by being in touch with the youth's
emotional state. Just because teenagers don't show their feelings readily, it
does not mean that they are not concerned about impending major life events or
feel distressed after a personal disaster. Have empathy with them. They want to
be understood by their parents. Sensitive listening and appropriate advice or
debriefing will help.
The
successful negotiation and resolution of a stressful situation can be a
confidence booster to the youth.
Take Suicidal Threats Seriously
Whether
a youth has "genuine" suicidal intent or not, take all suicidal
threats seriously. Don't trivialize any suicidal threat. In many instances, the
threat is a cry for help - "I am not coping". If this is ignored, the
youth may decide to act out his/her threat. It is much safer to be cautious.
Early detection and management of
psychiatric illness.
Like
suicide, psychiatric illnesses carry with them stigmas and myths. Many major
psychiatric disorders, e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar affective illness and
anorexia nervosa have their onset in adolescence. Drug induced psychosis is
another important condition in this age group. These conditions, which are
responsive to treatment, carry with them a higher risk of suicide if they are
not managed early and appropriately.
Without
describing each psychiatric condition in detail, the following symptoms should
be taken seriously by parents:
§
Severe and persistent
depressive mood
§
Severe agitation and panic
attacks
§
Hallucination - The hearing of
"voices" or seeing things in the absence of external stimulus.
§
Delusion - a fixed and false
belief system that is alien to the person's family and cultural background.
§
Grossly elated mood
§
The excessive pre-occupation
with certain ideas (e.g. cleanliness or body weight) to the point of affecting
the person's daily functioning.
The
presence of any of these symptoms may indicate the onset of an underlying
psychiatric illness. With the support and encouragement of parents, the youth
may agree to professional advice. A proper assessment is required to plan ways
to help the young person.
Appropriate intervention after a
suicide attempt.
All
suicide attempts should be taken seriously, particularly if the youth has
planned the suicide. Don't dismiss the attempt as an attention seeking behavior.
The seriousness of the attempt is related to the intent of the youth rather
than the method of self harm. Proper assessment is required after the attempt
and this will generally mean professional intervention.
Apart
from the suicidal youth, parents and other family members will also need a
great deal of support and their needs must not be forgotten.
Parents
can do several things to help their teenager after a suicide attempt:
§
Ensure the physical safety of
the teenager.
§
Be available to support the
teenager.
§
Be caring but don't be over-protective.
§
Close observation but not being
intrusive.
§
Return to routine as soon as
practical.
§
Removal of potentially
dangerous substance/weapon.
§
Discuss issues relating to the
attempt only at the initiative of the youth, i.e. no interrogation.
§
Seek help and advice. Don't
sweep the problems "under the carpet".
Be vigilant of changes in behavior.
Be
wary if there is a sudden excessive elevation of the youth's mood in someone
who was previously severely depressed. This does not necessarily mean that the
youth is getting better. The youth may have in fact finally decided to commit
suicide and there is a sense of relief and therefore the improved mood and
activity level. The youth may give away his/her precious possessions or ask the
parents to go out so that he/she can carry out the suicide act.
A
teenager who is grossly agitated is also at risk. The agitation can be caused
by drug, depression, anxiety or psychosis. In this instance, the suicide act
may be the youth's attempt to relieve the internal distress and agitation.
Watch out for the youth who paces the floor and acts like a "cat on a hot
tin roof".
Seek advice or help from professionals
if in doubt.
It is
not easy for parents to come to accept that their teenager is emotionally
troubled, not to mention suicide attempt. Parents tend to blame themselves and
ask themselves many "if only" and "why" questions.
Professional assistance is frequently required for not only the teenager, but
also the family. Clinical psychologists, general medical practitioners, psychiatrists,
and competent youth counselors are some professionals who are available for
consultation and advice if there is any doubt that a youth is at risk of
suicide.
Read more on: http://suicideprevention.nv.gov/Youth/WhatYouCanDo/
An 11-year-old boy of Kadavu is Fiji’s latest suicide victim. In
an earlier case, a 17-year-old boy committed suicide inside a school dormitory
on the island of Ovalau on August 28. A total of 62 suicide cases have been
recorded so far this year compared to 51 for the same period last year while 72
attempted suicide cases have been reported this year compared to 68 cases last
year. In light of the rising number of cases, Fiji Police Force’s spokesperson
Ana Naisoro is asking members of the public to share their problems and learn
to reach out when in need.
In most cases of suicide a person doesn’t wants to die; they just want the pain to stop.
To
anyone out there who’s hurting- It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help.
It’s a sign of strength! There are far, far better things ahead than anything
we leave behind. When it is darkest, we can see the stars. Suicide doesn’t end the chances of life
getting worse; it eliminates the possibility of it ever getting any better.
Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside
you that is greater than any obstacle.
