Ep. 016 : What Parents Should Know About Suicide Part I: Why Kids Become Suicidal

10/15/20 • 20 min

Young people are amongst the most vulnerable to thoughts of suicide. Suicide is the number two leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. However, parents often fail to recognize the danger their children may be in until it is too late. In this episode, we’ll explore what might cause a young person to become suicidal. We’ll discuss how violence and sadness are pretty typical experiences for young people. We’ll also look at how the internet, social media, and cyberbullying may add to the stresses of childhood. Lastly, we’ll discuss how a lack of emotional tools and impulsivity may contribute to thoughts of suicide in young people.

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Ep. 015 : Myth BUSTED: Don’t Ask “Are You Suicidal?”

One of the most common misconceptions we hear about suicide is that you shouldn't ask about it. Many people fear that asking someone in distress if they have thought about killing themselves will plant the idea in that person’s head. The truth is that asking is a GOOD idea! It offers an often lifesaving connection to someone who feels they have run out of options, but how you ask and how you react matters.

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Ep. 017 : What Parents Should Know About Suicide Part II: How Do You Know If Your Child Is Suicidal?

In Part II of our series, we continue our conversation about what parents should know about youth suicide. In this episode we explore how to tell if your child is suicidal. Many, many parents do not realize until it is too late that even young children can be vulnerable to suicide. There are many ways to help a young person, but it starts by not dismissing the feeling that your child could be in danger. If they’ve been through a triggering event and their behavior starts changing, such as their grades slipping, it might be time to ask them, “Have you thought about killing yourself?” We go over how exactly to ask and better ways to respond in order to provide meaningful help.