People are hurting. It's that simple. This week, another child in our community lost his life. His death has touched teenagers at the local middle and high schools. A glance at Twitter is all it takes to see that the kids are reeling. Children affected by such loss can be at increased risk of suicide.
So what can we as parents, teachers, counselors, and other professionals working with kids do to help them through this? We have to talk about it. There is much we can do to help!
NATIONAL RESOURCES:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) Provides crisis intervention counseling via phone or online chat and information on crisis centers nationwide. Lifeline
National Alliance on Mental Illness - Provides information on mental health and a wealth of resources to locate mental health treatment. NAMI
Find a Therapist in Your Area: Find a Therapist
I hope this information will help someone. No one has to feel alone when they are hurting. Help is available.
Laura J. Reagan, LCSW-C
So what can we as parents, teachers, counselors, and other professionals working with kids do to help them through this? We have to talk about it. There is much we can do to help!
- Recognize that people are hurting! Realize that this may affect kids for more than a few days or weeks, even if they did not know the person who died, and they may not show it through their words. When a peer dies suddenly it affects the entire school, neighborhood, church, community and all the other circles within which we live. Kids often show their feelings through changes in behavior. It can be traumatic for peers when another child dies tragically and the effects are felt for years, in some cases throughout the peers' lifetimes. And adults are hurting too!
- Give kids an outlet to talk about the loss. Keep communication open.
- Allow them to gather with other teens to mourn, whether by attending a formal service in the person's honor or in other ways they identify on their own.
- Check in with your kids, using open-ended questions like "What was happening at school today?""What's going on with your friends lately?""What's the buzz on Instagram these days?" Use your own words to ask them about what is going on in their lives.
- Watch for signs that people (kids and adults) are not okay and reach out to them. How do you know what to look for? See below for a list I created in an earlier blog post.
SIGNS THAT SOMEONE MAY NEED HELP:
- Loss of interest in activities that he or she once enjoyed
- Decreased interest in social interaction
- Trouble sleeping
- Decreased appetite
- Increased use of substances (alcohol, drugs) to avoid unpleasant emotions
- Difficulty with peer, family and/or romantic relationships
- Excessive worrying
- Poor grades, poor work performance, refusal to go to school
- Expressing feelings of hopelessness
The Anne Arundel County Youth Suicide Awareness Action Team (of which I'm a member) has great resources (click here) for information on risk factors for suicide, which is the second leading cause of death for children aged 12-17 in Anne Arundel County. That is a horrifying statistic which is not acceptable. You can read a report on this by clicking here: YSA Report I am standing up to make a difference in our community, which is my reason for writing this blog post today. As a parent and a mental health professional, I feel I must do something to raise awareness.
LOCAL CRISIS RESOURCES:
CALL 911 FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE IN ANY EMERGENCY
Anne Arundel County Crisis Warmline: 410-768-5522
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Provides information, support and referrals. Staff intervenes with callers who are experiencing mental health emergencies. Mobile crisis teams provide services in the community.
Maryland Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-422-0009
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Anne Arundel County Public Schools Student Safety Hotline: 1-877-676-9854
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
NATIONAL RESOURCES:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) Provides crisis intervention counseling via phone or online chat and information on crisis centers nationwide. Lifeline
National Alliance on Mental Illness - Provides information on mental health and a wealth of resources to locate mental health treatment. NAMI
Find a Therapist in Your Area: Find a Therapist
I hope this information will help someone. No one has to feel alone when they are hurting. Help is available.
Laura J. Reagan, LCSW-C