How to help a suicidal teen

[freedomcalls]

I'm pro choice for adults & have lived with suicidal ideation myself for 30 years, but a 13 year old child that I love attempted last night
The third anniversary of her mothers suicide has just passed

Does anyone have any insight into what support you've had along this road that has helped?

Her family (despite having been bereaved by suicide already) doesn't believe in mental health so I know she'll be getting all the wrong messages at home

 

[jodes2]

Her family (despite having been bereaved by suicide already) doesn't believe in mental health so I know she'll be getting all the wrong messages at home

That's one of the worst kinds of situation. That kid needs mental health help!! Firstly she needs support from her family, second she needs help from professionals. Those are so important. If you can convince her family to be supportive, that's crucial. The only other thing you can do is tell her things get better with time. She's young so her brain is more capable of adapting. But her family is damaging her, clearly. Nightmare

 

[noaccount]

Well, tbh, what does "not believing in mental health" mean? Often, when something a person is going through is treated as being "about mental health," that means it's NOT treated as being about their human rights, their real struggles with relationships, their valid objections to how other people are treating them, their PHYSICAL health conditions ("no it's just anxiety or something,") their unique personal thoughts, philosophies, or spiritual experiences - all that, being reduced to "mental health issues," can be a very cruel and dismissive thing.

Getting A Diagnosis Meant That My Sister Never Had the Chance to Resolve Her Trauma - Mad In America

My sister was told if she took medications everything would be fine. But everything was not fine. Medications set her on a path of no return.

www.madinamerica.com

What you can do is listen and believe them about why they were suicidal and why they did what they did. And believe them. And be a confidential person who doesn't make them feel betrayed and unsafe by repeating what they tell you without their consent.

 

[hamvil]

Well the fact they do not believe in mental health already says something about the family, i grew in the same environment and I can tell. Guess it is hard to intervene excluding social services. Start with the family and try to make them understand the situation. Not sure how close you are with the child maybe you can him/her to look at school support. But it could be a dangerous move, without support from the family he/she will have troubles. I guess it is too bad because most likely what she is going through can be overcome (most stuff is temporary at that age and even after). Hope the parents see the light and get the child some help.

Well, tbh, what does "not believing in mental health" mean? Often, when something a person is going through is treated as being "about mental health," that means it's NOT treated as being about their human rights, their real struggles with relationships, their valid objections to how other people are treating them, their PHYSICAL health conditions ("no it's just anxiety or something,") their unique personal thoughts, philosophies, or spiritual experiences - all that, being reduced to "mental health issues," can be a very cruel and dismissive thing.

Those are usually people that either think that mental health problems do not exists, like it is all invited stuff and the person is just a bit down or sad. Or there are people that believe in that but they think that their kids are no "crazy" because they translate mental health with craziness. My family was like that literary to the point that my father did not get it even when my mother killed herself. I never got any support in those moments and even now he does not believe I need support. and I am 43 no.