common problems

Supporting a Young Person who is Feeling Suicidal or at Risk of Self-Harm: Advice for Parents and Carers

Suicide is a very complex and understandably emotive issue. There isn’t always one clear reason why someone might decide they want to seriously harm themselves or even take their own life. Often it can be the result of difficult feelings and problems building up to the point where they can see no other way to cope with what they’re experiencing.

Problems that might put certain young people at risk of suicide can include:

• The recent loss or the breakup of a close relationship

• An actual and/or expected unhappy change in circumstances

• Bullying (can include in person and online)

• Painful and/or disabling physical illness

• Heavy use of or a dependency on alcohol or other drugs

• History of earlier suicide attempts or self-harming

• History of suicide in the family

• Depression or extreme anxiety.

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL WARNING SIGNS THAT A YOUNG PERSON IS FEELING SUICIDAL?

It’s not always easy to identify young people who are struggling and making plans to seriously self harm or even end their own life. However, when pressures become too much they may show some of the following signs:

• Lacking energy or appearing particularly tired

• Appearing more tearful

• Not wanting to talk or be with people

• Not wanting to do things they usually enjoy

• Eating, drinking or sleeping more or less than usual

• Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings

• Finding it hard to cope with everyday things

• Appearing restless and agitated

• Not liking or taking care of themselves or feeling they don’t matter

• Showing an increased preoccupation with death or suicide. This may include internet searches on suicide.

How someone behaves when they are suicidal varies from person to person. However, if someone starts acting differently from how they usually act, it could be a sign that something is wrong.

Please remember our Urgent Care Team if you live in North Derbyshire, they can arrange an assessment for the most urgent / high risk situations.

KEEPING YOUR YOUNG PERSON SAFE DURING SELF-ISOLATION

• Ensure all sharps are locked or kept securely away. This is not always easy to do. You could make sure that they are kept in your own bedroom if there is somewhere safe and secure. Alternatively if you have a car you could lock items in here and ensure you keep your keys on you.

• Ensure all medications and/or potentially poisonous household substances are also kept securely locked away.

• Ensure that any other household items that could be used to cause harm are kept away.

• If your young person requires any medication for illness – please ensure you check that they have swallowed their medication. This will hopefully prevent them storing medication for use later.

• Ensure you keep communicating with your young person but do not try and force communication. Some ideas to use would be to ask your child / young person to find alternative ways of letting you know they are struggling. For example, try using coloured cards where a red card signals, ‘I am struggling, please do something to keep me safe’, an amber card signals, ‘I am finding things hard but managing at this time’, or a green card signals, ‘I am okay for now’. You can be creative with this.

• It may be that your young person requires extra supervision at this time. For some young people, it will be necessary to be in constant visual contact. For others, this could be less frequent (e.g., every 15 minutes). Be clear with your young person that you are doing this in order to keep them safe and it is not a punishment for how they are feeling.

• If you have any questions or queries then please call the CAMHS duty team 9-5 Monday to Friday (01246 514412) and they will be able to talk you through some ideas and suggestions to help. Outside of these hours the Urgent Care Team are available 10am- 10pm (07901330724) for more urgent needs.

• If you do not feel able to keep your young person safe then please give either of the above a call. If they are not available and your young person is in immediate danger please do not hesitate to attend your local Emergency Department or in an absolute emergency please dial 999.