hurting themselves or talk about wanting to die, seek access to guns, pills, or other weapons to hurt themselves, or talk about death, dying or suicide.
If you have family members who have these behaviors, it is important to take them serious and help them get professional help.
During her workshop at the ABPSI convention, Dr. Simmons suggested that parents or others should not tell youth that they’re being silly, agree that their problems are really bad, or try to guilt them into changing their feelings.
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If you notice some of the signs above or your child tells you they are depressed or suicidal, below are some ways to help make things better.
- Increase family connectedness: It may help improve their mood and increase their hope that things can get better in their lives.
- Engage them in spiritual or religious activities: Research notes that attending church and religious activities helps protect against depression and suicide.
- Increased number of people living in the household: By increasing the number of individuals around the youth, it helps with monitoring behavior and decreasing risky activity that may result in harm.
If you or a loved one is in need of support, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988.
Dr. Erlanger “Earl” Turner, often referred to by his clients as Dr. Earl, is a licensed psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston Downtown. His expertise includes providing mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults for concerns such as depression, anxiety, marital distress, and adjustment difficulties. You can follow Dr. Turner on Twitter @DrEarlTurner for daily post on psychology, mental health, and parenting. You can also view his website for more information at www.drerlangerturner.com.