This post eloquently verbalizes by our friend Mike Rogers two issues: talking to kids about suicide and the perception that suicide is an escape. Suicide is not a solution- it is a permanent fix to temporary problems. It is an important talk to have, but sometimes hard to know where to start. Here are some guidelines for parents on talking to kids about suicide, part of a handout we distribute at our outreach events. Contrary to myth, talking about suicide CANNOT plant the idea in someones head! It actually can open up communication about a topic that is often kept a secret. And secrets that are exposed to the rational light of day often become less powerful and scary. You also give your child permission to bring up the subject again in the future. If it isn’t prompted by something your kid is saying or doing that worries you, approach this topic in the same way as other subjects that are important to you, but may or may not be important to your child: - Timing is everything! Pick a time when you have the best chance of getting your child’s attention. Sometimes a car ride, for example, assures you of a captive, attentive audience. Or a suicide that has received media attention can provide the perfect opportunity to bring up the topic. - Think about what you want to say ahead of time and rehearse a script if necessary. It always helps to have a reference point: (”I was reading in the paper that youth suicide has been increasing...” or “I saw that your school is having a program for teachers on suicide prevention.”) - Be honest. It this is a hard subject for you to talk about, admit it! (”You know, I never thought this was something I’d be talking with you about, but I think it’s really impor- tant”). By acknowledging your discomfort, you give your child permission to acknowl- edge his/her discomfort, too. - Ask for your child’s response. Be direct! (”What do you think about suicide?”; “Is it something that any of your friends talk about?”; “The statistics make it sound pretty common. Have you ever thought about it? What about your friends?”) Hope this information helps open lines of communication on an important, potentially life-saving topic. -used with permission of Mike Rogers. Thank you again, my friend.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:16:27 +0000
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