How Parents Are Minimizing Teen Recklessness

Death, is always a painful experience for the family of the deceased and sometimes, the community at large. However, the death of a young one, a teenager, by his own hands brings untold devastation and suffering to the family. It’s always a troubling time for the parents who have to stand the pain of knowing their little ones chose to take their lives for some reasons they might not have known of. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10-24, most of whom are teenagers. In this group, it’s been estimated that 12 teenagers commit suicide daily and for every death from suicide, there are 25 attempts made. From 2005-2015, over 500,000 failed attempts were reported yearly. Currently, it’s said that one in ten teens is contemplating suicide, and a further three have thought of it before. All these mindboggling statistics have brought teen suicide to the fore front of the discuss and many parents have started taking actions to quell this unwanted but now common occurrence. It cannot be denied that some parents are yet in the dark on how to reduce the tendency of their adolescent kids to attempt suicide due to their feelings of hopelessness and frustrations. Here are some of the useful tips on how to minimize the chance of teen suicide in your home as well as your community at large:

1. Pay attention to the warning signs

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The adolescent stage is a very crucial and volatile stage in the growth and development of your child. It’s common to see teens almost always angry, unhappy and feeling hopeless due to how they perceive the world. These feelings could also arise from the psychological, environmental and social factors around them. Hence many of them, out of their immature short-sightedness and utter hopelessness, resort to suicide as a solution; a permanent solution to a temporal problem.

As a parent, you should watch of for the signs of this hopelessness and frustrations in your kid. This usually manifests in for of:

Isolating himself or herself from other people and age mates

Lack of engagement in their regular activities

Having trouble thinking clearly

Erratic behaviors

Disturbed sleep or the complete lack of it

Occasional talks about death and suicide

The tendency to elf destruct by engaging in alcoholism, substance abuse, recklessness etc.

Regular expressions of hopelessness.

All these signs should never be overlooked. They are pointers into what is going on in the head of your child.

2. Pay close attention and talk to them

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As parents, it’s understood that you have to work to provide for the family. But never let your busy schedule take you away from giving your kids the time and affection they deserve. It’s by spending time with the, interacting and listening to them respectfully that they can open up to you or you detect some unusual signs in them.

Talk to your teen children. You could discuss the topic with them and make them see reasons why it isn’t really a way out. Take time to monitor them and their activities and sometimes their phone conversation using espiar cellular. You could find clues such as written notes, entries in their diaries and sometimes substances and drugs hidden within their space which should lead you to ask questions.

3. Identify the risk factors around them

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As a parent, you should take time to access your home and your kid. What are those things that could facilitate his bid to commit suicide? A rough neighborhood, ready access to drugs and harmful substances, stigmatization, bullying, mental health disorders like depression and anxiety, access to lethal weapons such as knives, firearms, poisons etc. Evaluate all these and put away the ones you can control. Take adequate actions to limit the others.

4. Provide and foster the protective factors around them

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Teenagers require attention, especially as it concerns suicide and suicidal behaviors. While they may feel hopeless and frustrated, they are still soft at heart. Providing a conducive environment and putting in place factors that accommodate them better could save the day. Create a stable and safe physical and emotional home.

Create a strong family bond around them. Having loved ones around them and pictures or other items that bring memories of better times could help a lot. Enhance religious and cultural beliefs that discourage suicide. Keep harmful and lethal weapons like firearms and knives away from their reach. Provide support through medical and mental health care. All these will go a long way in disengaging them from thoughts of suicide.

5. Seek professional assistance as quick as you can

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Always remember that there are people whose job it is to handle these tough situations. Taking your child to see these professionals for help is another way to make sure the thoughts don’t actually materialize.