“I found that developing a philosophical attitude toward suicide was necessary for my own peace of mind.”You may have never thought of suicide as a coping skill, but for the teen who feels alone or who has never been treated for depression, suicide ideation may be the only response they know. Treatment changes that. Once they are in therapy and begin to learn better coping skills, the threat will lessen. For many teens, discovering that there are alternatives to suicide is a tremendous relief.
Meanwhile, it is scary to live with the knowledge that your child has been vulnerable to suicide. Long after the immediate threat was resolved, I still fretted that one day one of my children would commit suicide. I found that developing a philosophical attitude toward suicide was necessary for my own peace of mind.
We all want our children to live long, happy lives, and hopefully, they will. But no matter what we do, we cannot avoid every possible danger that could threaten our offspring. Cancer, a car wreck, or alcohol poisoning at a fraternity party are only a few of the possibilities that we, as parents, learn to coexist with. The reality of death is a risk we take when we become parents. In the meantime, we do everything we can to prevent the possibility of a suicide occurring. We keep the line of communication open with our children by never judging them or making them regret sharing their feelings with us. We help them get the medical care they require. We help them learn how to manage their illness. We encourage them to find a balance between stress and wellness. After that, we accept that our role as parents has limits, and we get on with our own lives. What else can we do?
“Pay attention to your teen’s current appearance and habits, observing posture, hygiene, and level of awareness.”