Signs A Child Is Thinking About Suicide
Unfortunately, suicide often comes without warning, without us waiting for it, without knowing why it happened. Therefore, we need to be aware of the signs, because they are the ones that tell us that something is happening and that can help us to stop the atrocious thoughts in a child’s mind. Let’s talk about the signs that a child is contemplating suicide.
Child suicide is something that does happen, although the adult world wants to look the other way, thinking that it will never happen within your family. Suicide occurs when a person (of any age) finds no other way out of the deep suffering and pain they feel. It is a deep sadness that distorts and obscures thought.
It is true that it is horrible to think that children, being in the prime of life and being so innocent, are capable of taking their own lives. Although we think that childhood should be a moment of absolute happiness for little ones, it is not always like this. Therefore, it is necessary to know what are the more subtle signs.
childhood suicide
Childhood suicide occurs between the ages of 5 and 14, and it is after this age that it can be performed more successfully. In fact, it is one of the most likely causes of death in young boys and girls.
It is a more critical feeling in development, as adolescents feel pressured, more stressed, question their identity, move away from the family, isolate themselves, feel unprotected, have distortions of reality, personality disorders that are difficult to diagnose may arise due to the volatility of the stage they are in, etc.
When a child or teenager cannot find a solid support network in friends or family, they feel abandoned. This feeling of abandonment for them is even worse than death.
It is important to be aware that suicide can be prevented with good professional advice and, in many cases, with the intervention of a specialist. But in addition to the importance of professional intervention, it is very important to be aware of the signs that can be detected in order to ask the specialist for help as soon as possible.
Signs that a child is contemplating suicide
There are some signs that may indicate that a child wants to commit suicide. If you think your child has any of them, you need to seek professional help as soon as possible.
- Has few social skills.
- Has difficulty or does not ask for help.
- If you ask for help, it’s in such a subtle way that it’s hard to tell.
- It is considered a more mature child, both emotionally and physically.
- It has cognitive inflexibility.
- It’s hard to give in to opinions different from yours.
- You tend to have pessimistic thoughts about life.
- Has low self-esteem or a shy or withdrawn attitude.
While these signs don’t have to be significant, the reality is that if you think or intuit that your child may be thinking these kinds of thoughts, you should seek help as soon as possible.
Circumstances that can lead the child to have suicidal tendencies
There are some circumstances that can cause children to have suicidal thoughts. Some of these circumstances may be as follows:
- Depression.
- Affective or behavioral disorders.
- Personality Disorders.
- Being bullied at school.
- Previous suicide attempts.
- Academic problems.
- Too many demands on yourself.
- Loss of a loved one.
- Parental divorce.
- Violence or ill-treatment of any kind.
The best protection for a child thinking about suicide
The best protection will always be to watch your child’s behavior closely and not look away when the child is sad or affected for a specific reason. The biggest protective factor against suicide is having solid family support.
For a child to ask for help, we have to be always available. Anytime, anywhere. She must know that we will always be by her side, without any other worries. You need to tell her that and remind her, because she needs us to.
Even though you know that you will always be by the child’s side, if her perception prevents her from seeing our support, then it will not be so clear to her. You must tell the child this and also demonstrate it with your actions. For this you will have to have a good approach and always open the way for dialogue and communication.
Show your concern by saying phrases like “I want to help you ”. Validate the emotions of the little ones so that they learn to channel them correctly and so that they never feel judged. Convey that problems in life are temporary, that a solution can always be sought. It is important to work on self-esteem, social relationships and having a pleasant environment in life.
