James Donaldson on Mental Health - What Are the Symptoms of Depression in Teenagers?

Signs your child might be more than moody

Writer: Ron J. Steingard, MD

Clinical Expert: Ron J. Steingard, MD

What You'll Learn

- What are the symptoms of depression in teens?
- Why is it important to catch depression early?
- What is the treatment for depression in teens?
- Quick Read
- Full Article
- Why early intervention is critical
- Depression plus anxiety
- Treatments for depression

Teens are often moody. That’s why it’s easy to miss signs that they’re actually depressed and need help. Symptoms of depression in teens include things like avoiding hanging out with friends and family and being sad or angry. Not doing well in school, sleeping a lot, and eating more or less than usual can also be signs.

If you notice that your teen has been down a lot and lost interest in things they used to like doing, they may be depressed. The teen may not even be aware they are depressed.

There are two main kinds of depression. Major depressive disorder is the most common. That’s when a kid has bad stretches of depression for months. Dysthymia, the other kind, is milder, but it can go on for years. Since depression causes low energy and problems concentrating, it can have a negative impact on school and friendships. That, in turn, can cause low self-esteem, which can make depression worse. Feeling bad about yourself can also lead to anxiety.

Early treatment is important to head off long-term effects of depression. The most common treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is aimed at changing the negative thinking the teen is caught in. It teaches kids ways of noticing and changing upsetting emotions. Antidepressant medication can be added to therapy. The combination often works better than either treatment separately.

Since adolescents are often moody, it can be difficult to recognize when your child has become depressed and might need help. The thing people tend to notice first is withdrawal, or when the teenager stops doing things they usually like to do. There might be other changes in their mood, including sadness or irritability. Or in their behavior, including appetite, energy level, sleep patterns, and academic performance. If several of these symptoms are present, be vigilant about the possibility of teen depression.

This is especially important because by the time family members and other people around a teenager note their lack of interest in most things — or what we callanhedonia — they’ve usually been depressed for some time. Depression is an internalizing disorder, i.e. one that disturbs a patient’s emotional life, rather than an externalizing one, which takes the form of disruptive or problematic behavior. As such, it takes a while not only for others to recognize it but often for the patient themselves to realize that their thinking, and emotional responses, are disturbed.

Note that there are actually two kinds of depression. In major depressive disorder — the most familiar form of depression — the symptoms occur in what may be severe episodes that tend to last from seven to nine months. But there is also another form of depression called dysthymia, in which the symptoms are milder, but they last longer, even years. So while the experience of dysthymia may be less debilitating for the child at any given moment, the risk is that there is more accrued damage and more time in which the child is kept out of the healthy development process.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Why early intervention is critical

When a teenager is depressed, their suffering isn’t the only reason it’s important to get help. In addition to the disorder itself, there are add-on effects that may cause lifelong issues. With depression symptoms comes low energy and poor concentration, two factors that are likely to have a significant impact on social and academic functioning.

It’s easy to see the effects of poor academic functioning: falling behind in school undermines a child’s confidence and self-image and can impact their future if it’s prolonged. But social learning is just as critical as academic learning inadolescence. Deficits in social skills not only put depressed teens behind their peers but in themselves can compound their depression.

Depression plus anxiety

It’s important to understand that a teenager who is depressed may also develop anxiety and may need to be treated for two separate disorders. It may be that depression leads to anxiety — the negative state of mind of a depressed teenager lends itself to uncertainty. If you’re not feeling good about yourself, confident, secure, or safe, anxiety may find fertile ground. It may also be because the regions of the brain affected by anxiety and depression are close together and mutually affected.

Two serious problems that are directly associated with teenage depression and anxiety are suicidal thinking (or behavior) and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, and we know that most kids who die by suicide have been suffering from a psychiatric illness. Especially at risk are teenagers who hide their depression and anxiety from parents and friends. That’s why it’s important to be alert to signs of these disorders — withdrawal, changes in school performance, eating habits, sleeping patterns, things they enjoy doing — even when teenagers aren’t forthcoming about how they feel.

Similarly, the majority of teenagers who developsubstance abuse problems also have apsychiatric disorder, including, most commonly, anxiety or depression, which is another important reason to get treatment in a timely way.

Treatments for depression

Fortunately, early involvement of health care professionals can shorten the period of illness and decrease the likelihood of missing important life lessons.

The most common treatment a mental health professional is apt to use is some form ofcognitive behavioral therapy, and depending on how young the child is, it may involve teaching the parents as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that a person suffering from a mood disorder is trapped in a negative pattern of thought. Depressed kids tend to evaluate themselves negatively, interpret the actions of others in a negative way, and assume the darkest possible outcome of events. In CBT, we teach sufferers to challenge those negative thoughts, recognize the pattern and train themselves to think outside it. And in many cases, we see real improvement.

If the depression is moderate to severe, treatment may involve medications such as antidepressants. A combination of psychotherapy and medication usually works better than either alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the symptoms of depression in teenagers?

What are the two serious problems associated with teen depression and anxiety?

Two serious problems that are directly associated with teenage depression and anxiety are suicidal thinking (or behavior) and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, and we know that most kids who die by suicide have been suffering from a psychiatric illness.

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-what-are-the-symptoms-of-depression-in-teenagers-2/

Signs your child might be more than moody

Writer: Ron J. Steingard, MD

Clinical Expert: Ron J. Steingard, MD

What You'll Learn

- What are the symptoms of depression in teens?

- Why is it important to catch depression early?

- What is the treatment for depression in teens?

- Quick Read

- Full Article

- Why early intervention is critical

- Depression plus anxiety

- Treatments for depression

Teens are often moody. That’s why it’s easy to miss signs that they’re actually depressed and need help. Symptoms of depression in teens include things like avoiding hanging out with friends and family and being sad or angry. Not doing well in school, sleeping a lot, and eating more or less than usual can also be signs.

If you notice that your teen has been down a lot and lost interest in things they used to like doing, they may be depressed. The teen may not even be aware they are depressed.

There are two main kinds of depression. Major depressive disorder is the most common. That’s when a kid has bad stretches of depression for months. Dysthymia, the other kind, is milder, but it can go on for years. Since depression causes low energy and problems concentrating, it can have a negative impact on school and friendships. That, in turn, can cause low self-esteem, which can make depression worse. Feeling bad about yourself can also lead to anxiety.

Early treatment is important to head off long-term effects of depression. The most common treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is aimed at changing the negative thinking the teen is caught in. It teaches kids ways of noticing and changing upsetting emotions. Antidepressant medication can be added to therapy. The combination often works better than either treatment separately.

Since adolescents are often moody, it can be difficult to recognize when your child has become depressed and might need help. The thing people tend to notice first is withdrawal, or when the teenager stops doing things they usually like to do. There might be other changes in their mood, including sadness or irritability. Or in their behavior, including appetite, energy level, sleep patterns, and academic performance. If several of these symptoms are present, be vigilant about the possibility of teen depression.

This is especially important because by the time family members and other people around a teenager note their lack of interest in most things — or what we callanhedonia — they’ve usually been depressed for some time. Depression is an internalizing disorder, i.e. one that disturbs a patient’s emotional life, rather than an externalizing one, which takes the form of disruptive or problematic behavior. As such, it takes a while not only for others to recognize it but often for the patient themselves to realize that their thinking, and emotional responses, are disturbed.

Note that there are actually two kinds of depression. In major depressive disorder — the most familiar form of depression — the symptoms occur in what may be severe episodes that tend to last from seven to nine months. But there is also another form of depression called dysthymia, in which the symptoms are milder, but they last longer, even years. So while the experience of dysthymia may be less debilitating for the child at any given moment, the risk is that there is more accrued damage and more time in which the child is kept out of the healthy development process.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Why early intervention is critical

When a teenager is depressed, their suffering isn’t the only reason it’s important to get help. In addition to the disorder itself, there are add-on effects that may cause lifelong issues. With depression symptoms comes low energy and poor concentration, two factors that are likely to have a significant impact on social and academic functioning.

It’s easy to see the effects of poor academic functioning: falling behind in school undermines a child’s confidence and self-image and can impact their future if it’s prolonged. But social learning is just as critical as academic learning inadolescence. Deficits in social skills not only put depressed teens behind their peers but in themselves can compound their depression.

Depression plus anxiety

It’s important to understand that a teenager who is depressed may also develop anxiety and may need to be treated for two separate disorders. It may be that depression leads to anxiety — the negative state of mind of a depressed teenager lends itself to uncertainty. If you’re not feeling good about yourself, confident, secure, or safe, anxiety may find fertile ground. It may also be because the regions of the brain affected by anxiety and depression are close together and mutually affected.

Two serious problems that are directly associated with teenage depression and anxiety are suicidal thinking (or behavior) and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, and we know that most kids who die by suicide have been suffering from a psychiatric illness. Especially at risk are teenagers who hide their depression and anxiety from parents and friends. That’s why it’s important to be alert to signs of these disorders — withdrawal, changes in school performance, eating habits, sleeping patterns, things they enjoy doing — even when teenagers aren’t forthcoming about how they feel.

Similarly, the majority of teenagers who developsubstance abuse problems also have apsychiatric disorder, including, most commonly, anxiety or depression, which is another important reason to get treatment in a timely way.

Treatments for depression

Fortunately, early involvement of health care professionals can shorten the period of illness and decrease the likelihood of missing important life lessons.

The most common treatment a mental health professional is apt to use is some form ofcognitive behavioral therapy, and depending on how young the child is, it may involve teaching the parents as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that a person suffering from a mood disorder is trapped in a negative pattern of thought. Depressed kids tend to evaluate themselves negatively, interpret the actions of others in a negative way, and assume the darkest possible outcome of events. In CBT, we teach sufferers to challenge those negative thoughts, recognize the pattern and train themselves to think outside it. And in many cases, we see real improvement.

If the depression is moderate to severe, treatment may involve medications such as antidepressants. A combination of psychotherapy and medication usually works better than either alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the symptoms of depression in teenagers?

What are the two serious problems associated with teen depression and anxiety?

Two serious problems that are directly associated with teenage depression and anxiety are suicidal thinking (or behavior) and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, and we know that most kids who die by suicide have been suffering from a psychiatric illness. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-what-are-the-symptoms-of-depression-in-teenagers-2/

Signs your child might be more than moody

Writer: Ron J. Steingard, MD

Clinical Expert: Ron J. Steingard, MD

What You'll Learn

- What are the symptoms of depression in teens?

- Why is it important to catch depression early?

- What is the treatment for depression in teens?

- Quick Read

- Full Article

- Why early intervention is critical

- Depression plus anxiety

- Treatments for depression

Teens are often moody. That’s why it’s easy to miss signs that they’re actually depressed and need help. Symptoms of depression in teens include things like avoiding hanging out with friends and family and being sad or angry. Not doing well in school, sleeping a lot, and eating more or less than usual can also be signs.

If you notice that your teen has been down a lot and lost interest in things they used to like doing, they may be depressed. The teen may not even be aware they are depressed.

There are two main kinds of depression. Major depressive disorder is the most common. That’s when a kid has bad stretches of depression for months. Dysthymia, the other kind, is milder, but it can go on for years. Since depression causes low energy and problems concentrating, it can have a negative impact on school and friendships. That, in turn, can cause low self-esteem, which can make depression worse. Feeling bad about yourself can also lead to anxiety.

Early treatment is important to head off long-term effects of depression. The most common treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which is aimed at changing the negative thinking the teen is caught in. It teaches kids ways of noticing and changing upsetting emotions. Antidepressant medication can be added to therapy. The combination often works better than either treatment separately.

Since adolescents are often moody, it can be difficult to recognize when your child has become depressed and might need help. The thing people tend to notice first is withdrawal, or when the teenager stops doing things they usually like to do. There might be other changes in their mood, including sadness or irritability. Or in their behavior, including appetite, energy level, sleep patterns, and academic performance. If several of these symptoms are present, be vigilant about the possibility of teen depression.

This is especially important because by the time family members and other people around a teenager note their lack of interest in most things — or what we callanhedonia — they’ve usually been depressed for some time. Depression is an internalizing disorder, i.e. one that disturbs a patient’s emotional life, rather than an externalizing one, which takes the form of disruptive or problematic behavior. As such, it takes a while not only for others to recognize it but often for the patient themselves to realize that their thinking, and emotional responses, are disturbed.

Note that there are actually two kinds of depression. In major depressive disorder — the most familiar form of depression — the symptoms occur in what may be severe episodes that tend to last from seven to nine months. But there is also another form of depression called dysthymia, in which the symptoms are milder, but they last longer, even years. So while the experience of dysthymia may be less debilitating for the child at any given moment, the risk is that there is more accrued damage and more time in which the child is kept out of the healthy development process.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Why early intervention is critical

When a teenager is depressed, their suffering isn’t the only reason it’s important to get help. In addition to the disorder itself, there are add-on effects that may cause lifelong issues. With depression symptoms comes low energy and poor concentration, two factors that are likely to have a significant impact on social and academic functioning.

It’s easy to see the effects of poor academic functioning: falling behind in school undermines a child’s confidence and self-image and can impact their future if it’s prolonged. But social learning is just as critical as academic learning inadolescence. Deficits in social skills not only put depressed teens behind their peers but in themselves can compound their depression.

Depression plus anxiety

It’s important to understand that a teenager who is depressed may also develop anxiety and may need to be treated for two separate disorders. It may be that depression leads to anxiety — the negative state of mind of a depressed teenager lends itself to uncertainty. If you’re not feeling good about yourself, confident, secure, or safe, anxiety may find fertile ground. It may also be because the regions of the brain affected by anxiety and depression are close together and mutually affected.

Two serious problems that are directly associated with teenage depression and anxiety are suicidal thinking (or behavior) and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, and we know that most kids who die by suicide have been suffering from a psychiatric illness. Especially at risk are teenagers who hide their depression and anxiety from parents and friends. That’s why it’s important to be alert to signs of these disorders — withdrawal, changes in school performance, eating habits, sleeping patterns, things they enjoy doing — even when teenagers aren’t forthcoming about how they feel.

Similarly, the majority of teenagers who developsubstance abuse problems also have apsychiatric disorder, including, most commonly, anxiety or depression, which is another important reason to get treatment in a timely way.

Treatments for depression

Fortunately, early involvement of health care professionals can shorten the period of illness and decrease the likelihood of missing important life lessons.

The most common treatment a mental health professional is apt to use is some form ofcognitive behavioral therapy, and depending on how young the child is, it may involve teaching the parents as well. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is based on the idea that a person suffering from a mood disorder is trapped in a negative pattern of thought. Depressed kids tend to evaluate themselves negatively, interpret the actions of others in a negative way, and assume the darkest possible outcome of events. In CBT, we teach sufferers to challenge those negative thoughts, recognize the pattern and train themselves to think outside it. And in many cases, we see real improvement.

If the depression is moderate to severe, treatment may involve medications such as antidepressants. A combination of psychotherapy and medication usually works better than either alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the symptoms of depression in teenagers?

What are the two serious problems associated with teen depression and anxiety?

Two serious problems that are directly associated with teenage depression and anxiety are suicidal thinking (or behavior) and substance abuse. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24, and we know that most kids who die by suicide have been suffering from a psychiatric illness. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=15652

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Signs a Child Might Be Suicidal

What to watch out for and how to help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3wd4AFT4c

Writer: Rachel Ehmke

Clinical Expert: Ramon Burgos, MD

Important:
If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Some young people who are thinking about suicide let people close to them know that they are in pain and are open about needing help. Others hide their feelings from family and friends. If you are wondering if your child is suicidal, experts say that asking them is the best way to find out.

Parents sometimes worry that asking about suicide may make it more likely, but that isn’t the case, and asking is very important. For children who have a hard time admitting they need help, it sends the message that a parent cares very much about them, and that struggling and asking for help is okay. That conversation can be lifesaving.

While asking is the best way to find out, there are also some warning signs to watch out for if you are worried about suicide, including the following:

- Isolation from friends and family
- Problems eating or sleeping
- Mood swings
- Reckless behavior
- Dropping grades
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Giving away belongings
- Talking about feeling hopeless or trapped
- Talking about being a burden to others or not belonging
- Talking about suicide or wanting to die
- Writing or drawing about suicide or acting it out in play

There are also some risk factors that may make some people more vulnerable to suicide, like a family history of suicide, bullying, and access to things like firearms and pills. Struggling with a mental health disorder or alcohol and substance abuse can also be factors. Learn more about risk factors and protective factors here.

If your child has any of the warning signs above, ask them if they are thinking about suicide. If you are worried that they may attempt suicide, call 911. Experts agree that suicidal thoughts should always be taken seriously.

Learn about a form of OCD in which people obsess over the idea of suicide, but are not actually suicidal.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-signs-a-child-might-be-suicidal-2/

What to watch out for and how to help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3wd4AFT4c

Writer: Rachel Ehmke

Clinical Expert: Ramon Burgos, MD

Important:If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Some young people who are thinking about suicide let people close to them know that they are in pain and are open about needing help. Others hide their feelings from family and friends. If you are wondering if your child is suicidal, experts say that asking them is the best way to find out.

Parents sometimes worry that asking about suicide may make it more likely, but that isn’t the case, and asking is very important. For children who have a hard time admitting they need help, it sends the message that a parent cares very much about them, and that struggling and asking for help is okay. That conversation can be lifesaving.

While asking is the best way to find out, there are also some warning signs to watch out for if you are worried about suicide, including the following:

- Isolation from friends and family

- Problems eating or sleeping

- Mood swings

- Reckless behavior

- Dropping grades

- Increased use of alcohol or drugs

- Giving away belongings

- Talking about feeling hopeless or trapped

- Talking about being a burden to others or not belonging

- Talking about suicide or wanting to die

- Writing or drawing about suicide or acting it out in play

There are also some risk factors that may make some people more vulnerable to suicide, like a family history of suicide, bullying, and access to things like firearms and pills. Struggling with a mental health disorder or alcohol and substance abuse can also be factors. Learn more about risk factors and protective factors here.

If your child has any of the warning signs above, ask them if they are thinking about suicide. If you are worried that they may attempt suicide, call 911. Experts agree that suicidal thoughts should always be taken seriously.

Learn about a form of OCD in which people obsess over the idea of suicide, but are not actually suicidal.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-signs-a-child-might-be-suicidal-2/

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Mental health expert gives tips for suicide prevention

COLUMBUS, Miss. – It costs nothing to be kind, and it may even save a life.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

When life becomes overwhelming, it can sometimes feel as if all hope is lost.

This month, agencies across the country are spreading awareness and educating the public on how to help prevent death by suicide.

“It is a major health crisis, and we have to treat it like a major health crisis,” said Veronica Harrison, MS LPC-S.

Veronica Harrison is the Lowndes County Administrator for Community Counseling Services.

If you’re with a person who is struggling, she said, one of the first things you can do is listen.

“Sometimes they just need you to hear them, without judging them, without telling them how you would do it, or how they should do it. Just hear them and let them know it’s ok. If a person needs your guidance or advice, allow them to ask you for it. Don’t always throw it in,” said Harrison.

The Mississippi State Department of Health said suicide is the third leading cause of death for people in Mississippi, ages 10-24.

Half of that age group are adolescents.

Harrison said children being exposed to difficult things at an early age can sometimes contribute to poor mental health.

“Trauma, trauma happens earlier, children have distinct needs just like adults. They have things they’re facing, peer pressure is harder,” said Harrison.

She says social media can also have negative effects on mental health.

She advises creating a safe space for children to express how they feel.

However, for any age, she says there are some common signs that point to someone struggling.

“If someone has been completely depressed and down for a long period of time, and all of sudden, they’re extremely elevated, that sometimes a trigger,” said Harrison.

Drastic changes in moods or behavior are also signs.

The Columbus Police Department has been learning how to handle those experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Crisis Intervention team has been in effect for 5 or 6 years.

“With CIT, we’re all about showing compassion, all about showing empathy. With that type of tool on their belt, it certainly helps the officer and also the person who is in the crisis,” said Captain Kennedy Meaders, the CIT training coordinator.

The CIT involves a 40-hour class led by MSDH or Community Counseling Services.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Captain Kennedy Meaders agrees with having a listening ear.

“The most important thing we learn to do is to listen. We listen to what the person in crisis is doing. We call them consumers. We listen to what the consumer is saying, and we ask them questions. And basically, it’s not just to give me a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. It’s to tell me how you’re feeling, tell me what’s going on,” said Meaders.

He said their goal is to get them into a Crisis Stabilization Unit.

They also take them to the hospital to see if they need evaluation or further help.

“Check in on yourself and check in your friends,” said Harrison.

There are eight CIT officers at CPD, and the department has one on each shift.

If you are in crisis, Harrison advises getting professional help or talking with a trusted friend or family member.

Monday, September 8, was also 988 Day.

988 is the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call this number or reach out to your county’s Community Counseling Center.

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-mental-health-expert-gives-tips-for-suicide-prevention/

COLUMBUS, Miss. – It costs nothing to be kind, and it may even save a life.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month.

When life becomes overwhelming, it can sometimes feel as if all hope is lost.

This month, agencies across the country are spreading awareness and educating the public on how to help prevent death by suicide.

“It is a major health crisis, and we have to treat it like a major health crisis,” said Veronica Harrison, MS LPC-S.

Veronica Harrison is the Lowndes County Administrator for Community Counseling Services.

If you’re with a person who is struggling, she said, one of the first things you can do is listen.

“Sometimes they just need you to hear them, without judging them, without telling them how you would do it, or how they should do it. Just hear them and let them know it’s ok. If a person needs your guidance or advice, allow them to ask you for it. Don’t always throw it in,” said Harrison.

The Mississippi State Department of Health said suicide is the third leading cause of death for people in Mississippi, ages 10-24.

Half of that age group are adolescents.

Harrison said children being exposed to difficult things at an early age can sometimes contribute to poor mental health.

“Trauma, trauma happens earlier, children have distinct needs just like adults. They have things they’re facing, peer pressure is harder,” said Harrison.

She says social media can also have negative effects on mental health.

She advises creating a safe space for children to express how they feel.

However, for any age, she says there are some common signs that point to someone struggling.

“If someone has been completely depressed and down for a long period of time, and all of sudden, they’re extremely elevated, that sometimes a trigger,” said Harrison.

Drastic changes in moods or behavior are also signs.

The Columbus Police Department has been learning how to handle those experiencing a mental health crisis.

The Crisis Intervention team has been in effect for 5 or 6 years.

“With CIT, we’re all about showing compassion, all about showing empathy. With that type of tool on their belt, it certainly helps the officer and also the person who is in the crisis,” said Captain Kennedy Meaders, the CIT training coordinator.

The CIT involves a 40-hour class led by MSDH or Community Counseling Services.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Captain Kennedy Meaders agrees with having a listening ear.

“The most important thing we learn to do is to listen. We listen to what the person in crisis is doing. We call them consumers. We listen to what the consumer is saying, and we ask them questions. And basically, it’s not just to give me a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. It’s to tell me how you’re feeling, tell me what’s going on,” said Meaders.

He said their goal is to get them into a Crisis Stabilization Unit.

They also take them to the hospital to see if they need evaluation or further help.

“Check in on yourself and check in your friends,” said Harrison.

There are eight CIT officers at CPD, and the department has one on each shift.

If you are in crisis, Harrison advises getting professional help or talking with a trusted friend or family member.

Monday, September 8, was also 988 Day.

988 is the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call this number or reach out to your county’s Community Counseling Center. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-mental-health-expert-gives-tips-for-suicide-prevention/

What to watch out for and how to help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3wd4AFT4c

Writer: Rachel Ehmke

Clinical Expert: Ramon Burgos, MD

Important:If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Some young people who are thinking about suicide let people close to them know that they are in pain and are open about needing help. Others hide their feelings from family and friends. If you are wondering if your child is suicidal, experts say that asking them is the best way to find out.

Parents sometimes worry that asking about suicide may make it more likely, but that isn’t the case, and asking is very important. For children who have a hard time admitting they need help, it sends the message that a parent cares very much about them, and that struggling and asking for help is okay. That conversation can be lifesaving.

While asking is the best way to find out, there are also some warning signs to watch out for if you are worried about suicide, including the following:

- Isolation from friends and family

- Problems eating or sleeping

- Mood swings

- Reckless behavior

- Dropping grades

- Increased use of alcohol or drugs

- Giving away belongings

- Talking about feeling hopeless or trapped

- Talking about being a burden to others or not belonging

- Talking about suicide or wanting to die

- Writing or drawing about suicide or acting it out in play

There are also some risk factors that may make some people more vulnerable to suicide, like a family history of suicide, bullying, and access to things like firearms and pills. Struggling with a mental health disorder or alcohol and substance abuse can also be factors. Learn more about risk factors and protective factors here.

If your child has any of the warning signs above, ask them if they are thinking about suicide. If you are worried that they may attempt suicide, call 911. Experts agree that suicidal thoughts should always be taken seriously.

Learn about a form of OCD in which people obsess over the idea of suicide, but are not actually suicidal.

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=15645

By Caroline McClatchey

Leeanne Carey wanted to be a baton bearer in honor of her sister Louise

In one part of Northern Ireland this week, the conversation is going to be all about suicide and mental health.

The Baton of Hope is coming to Newry on Wednesday and it will travel around the wider area, with events being held to spread the message that there is support out there.

Leeanne Carey wanted to be a baton bearer in honour of her sister Louise, whom she lost to suicide in August 2022.

She was 33 years old and had suffered with her mental health for some time.

The mum-of-four from Gilford, in County Down, said in her area alone there had been 10 suicides in the past six years.

"I know Gilford is a small place, but most likely everybody has been affected in some capacity or known someone who has died by suicide," she said.

"It's the ripple effect that comes with it."

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

What is the Baton of Hope?

Leeanne, who helped set up a charity called Changing Lives NI, is at pains to highlight just how much support is available for people struggling with their mental health.

"A lot of people think there is nothing out there. They go to the GP or A&E, they don't realize there is a wealth of support in the voluntary sector," she said.

"The voluntary sector are probably doing more than the NHS to be perfectly honest. - a wider range of services as well."

And that is where the Baton of Hope comes in, to point people in the right direction.

It is the UK's biggest suicide prevention initiative and it was set up by two grieving fathers, Mike McCarthy and Steve Phillip, whose sons took their own lives.

They came up with the idea of a baton which would be carried, like an Olympic torch, by people who had lost loved ones to suicide.

The baton is about to embark on another tour of the UK - the first was in 2023 - and Newry is the second stop of 20.

The baton's stint in Northern Ireland is being hosted by PIPS Hope and Support, a charity dedicated to suicide prevention.

Padraig Harte, who used to work for PIPS and is the project lead for the Newry leg of the baton, said the plans grew and grew as they wanted to include as much of the area as possible.

"It's quite rural compared to the urban areas in Great Britain," he said.

"We are taking the baton lengthy distances, so we had to have different events and activities in each of the areas."

Throughout the day, the baton will visit Crossmaglen, Cullyhanna, Keady, Camlough, Bessbrook, Kilkeel, Rostrevor, Warrenpoint and Banbridge.

Community walks, tree planting ceremonies and coffee mornings are among the events taking place along the way.

The day will finish at Newry Leisure Centre, where a charity market will be welcoming people from 10:00 BST to 20:00.

There are 40 plus baton bearers - they include people affected by suicide, fundraisers and members of the emergency services.

The baton will also be transported at times by motorbikes, a supercar and an RNLI rescue boat.

Numerous schools, sports clubs, voluntary groups, community organisations and government agencies are also on board.

Eddie Drury is another baton bearer. When not working for the council maintaining Lurgan Park, he is a serial fundraiser.

He has lost count of the number of Caminos he has done - the network of pilgrimage routes leading to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain - and the last few have been to raise money for PIPS after a friend's son took his own life.

"I was absolutely delighted to be selected as a baton bearer because I just love PIPS and the job they do," he said.

"They are there for people who are feeling low and people who have gone through the trauma of suicide.

"It's very important to raise awareness of mental health issues in Northern Ireland."

'Totally smashed down'

The latest figures show there were 221 suicide deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2023 - up from 203 the previous year.

More than three quarters of the deaths were men.

Padraig said there was still "a lot of taboo and stigma" around suicide, and the Baton of Hope was about encouraging people to "have those conversations".

"No-one is immune from poor mental health and suicide is everyone's business," he said.

On Wednesday, Leeanne will be in Havelock Park in Banbridge - where in addition to information stalls, there will be a petting zoo and games.

She also talked about the stigma, especially among men.

"They don't talk, they don't show emotion, they are strong, they hold it all together - and that needs to be totally smashed down," she said.

"Mums, women - cup of tea and they'll talk about anything. It needs to be discussed more. Talking about suicide doesn't cause suicide."

The Baton of Hope is supported by the Public Health Agency, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Give Inc.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=15678

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Reducing Suicide Risk With Safety Plans

Agreements aimed at keeping kids from harming themselves

Writer: Caroline Miller

Clinical Expert: Joanna Stern, PsyD

What You'll Learn

- How does a safety plan help keep kids from harming themselves?
- When is it appropriate to make a safety plan for a child or teen?
- What is the parents' role in a safety plan?
- Quick Article
- Full Article
- When is a safety plan needed?
- How is a safety plan developed?
- What’s in a safety plan?
- What to do in an emergency
- Checking in on the plan
- Tolerating distressing feelings
- The parents’ role

A safety plan is something a therapist uses when a child or teen expresses thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or harming others. It includes a series of steps meant to help the teen, when they are feeling overwhelmed, redirect their attention away from harmful thoughts or feelings. Together, the teen and the therapist create a list of triggers to identify when the teen is at risk of doing something harmful, followed by coping strategies to help ease that risk. The plan includes ways to calm down, things they can focus on that would make them want to live, and people they can reach out to for support.

The safety plan is then shared with the child’s parents, who agree to take steps to make the environment safer by removing things a child might use to hurt themselves. The plan also provides parents with the tools to discuss and understand their child’s feelings, which makes them feel heard. Kids are sometimes afraid to tell their parents how they’re really feeling.

The therapist regularly checks in with the teen to make sure they feel safe with the plan until their next session. There are steps to take if the plan isn’t working. The therapist will help parents identify the nearest ER best equipped for psychiatric emergencies, how to get there, and what to say to the 911 operator.

The long-term goal of the safety plan is to teach kids how to regulate distressing feelings without doing something harmful. It’s no guarantee against suicide, but since most teen suicides are impulsive, diverting them until the urge passes can save lives.

A safety plan is something mental health professionals use when a child or adolescent says or does something that suggests they are at risk of doing something harmful. It’s usually triggered by talk of suicidal feelings, but it could also be thoughts of self-injury or harming someone else.

The safety plan is a series of steps the child or teen agrees to take to cope with their feelings without doing something harmful. It usually involves things they can do to calm down, distract themselves from painful feelings, and reach out for support. And it involves things both the teen and their parents will do to make their environment safer, by removing things they could use to hurt themselves.

When is a safety plan needed?

The safety plan is usually prompted by something a teen says in a therapy session. “When some element of risk comes up in a session, we’ll drop the rest of the agenda at that moment and go into safety planning,” explains Joanna Stern, PsyD, a clinical psychologist. The clinician works with the teen to develop the plan, and after they’ve finished, it is shared with parents. The teen, the parents, and the clinician all sign the plan and agree to abide by it.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee that a teen will adhere to the plan if they have the urge to make a suicide attempt or some other harmful act. But it can save lives by diverting them until the urge passes.

That’s important because pre-teens and teenagers who make suicide attempts tend to be much more impulsive than adults. “Adults tend to make a plan — they will often have left a note. But that’s usually not the case with teenagers,” says Dr. Stern. “Making this safety plan for teens is to create more barriers, in that time when they’re at highest risk, to acting on those impulses.”

How is a safety plan developed?

Making a safety plan involves engaging the teenager in a detailed discussion of what they are having the urge to do — if it’s suicide, how are they imagining doing it? Knowing those specifics enables the clinician and the teen to discuss how to make the teen’s environment safer. For instance, if the teen is thinking about cutting their wrists, the plan would involve reducing their access to knives by having parents make them inaccessible. If there is a risk of jumping from a window, the windows need to be locked.

“If it involves pills, then we have parents get a lockbox and lock all pills in there, including some over-the-counter stuff that can be lethal,” Dr. Stern adds. Parents might also be asked to provide extra supervision. “If you have a teen who is traveling independently and routinely goes into a pharmacy by themselves, you want to make sure that you are doing things to monitor their actions.”

It’s important to understand that the goal of the safety plan is not to solve distressing problems, but to help the person get through the next few hours or days when a potentially harmful impulse strikes. So the plan involves ways to redirect their thinking or attention until the urge passes.

What’s in a safety plan?

A typical safety plan (see a sample here) includes a list of warning signs that both the teen and others can use to identify when they are at risk, and steps they can take to mitigate that risk. They often include language like the following:

- Triggers and warning signs that tell me when to use my plan (Examples: Feeling tense, thoughts of dying)
- Warning signs that others can see that show them I need help (Examples: Scared face, clenched fists)
- Coping strategies that I can do on my own to safely feel better (Examples: Practice relaxation skills, listen to calming music)
- People and social settings that provide distraction
- Things that make my environment safe (Examples: Preventing access to sharp objects, weapons, medications, and/or illegal substances)
- People that I can call for help and to feel safe (Examples: Parents, grandparents, trusted adult)
- Professionals/agencies that I can call for help and to feel safe (Examples: Therapist, school counselor, crisis center)

A safety plan typically also includes thoughts the teen might focus on that might mitigate against a suicidal impulse, such as reasons to stay alive. It’s not always easy. “Sometimes they say ‘Nothing. There’s nothing worth living for,’” Dr. Stern notes. “It’s really on us as the clinicians to work with them and say, ‘Okay, is there something even short term?’”

Sometimes, she adds, a teen will mention their dog — the thought of how sad their dog would be if they were gone could be a barrier to suicide. “It really is whatever might be the antidote in the moment to letting those dangerous thoughts and emotions take over.”

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

What to do in an emergency

At the bottom of the safety plan is a section about steps to take if the plan isn’t working.

Dr. Stern helps parents identify the nearest emergency room and, if there are several, which has more expertise and resources for handling psychiatric emergencies in children and teenagers — such as a child psychiatry training program and an inpatient unit in case a child needs to be admitted.

She also discusses with parents how they will get to the ER. “Let’s talk through what might happen,” she tells them. “Can you take them yourself safely? Walk them there or go in a cab? What would be the circumstances where you would need to call 911 instead?”

The goal, she explains, is to get parents comfortable, ahead of time, with the idea of calling 911. “The other things we have on there are suicide prevention lifeline phone number and crisis text line.”

Checking in on the plan

Once a plan is in place, Dr. Stern says the therapist checks in with the teen about the plan regularly.

The goal is to confirm that the teen still feels that the plan can keep them safe until their next session. If the child feels that the next session is too far away, she adds, “Then we’ll figure out a way to fit them in. Because we want to reinforce that help-seeking behavior before they engage in actions that are life-threatening.”

Parents can also remind kids of the plan if they’re concerned about a child’s safety. “If a teen comes back and says to them, ‘I know I promised this, but I just can’t do it,’ we talk to parents about what to do, such as take them to the ER, what to say when you take them to the ER — all of that stuff.”

Tolerating distressing feelings

While the concept of a safety plan is focused on helping the person get through the next few hours or days safely, there’s also a bigger picture. When kids have extremely powerful emotions, it’s important for them to learn that they don’t last forever.

When kids learn to use these coping strategies during the period of time where they feel the most intense, they are learning to tolerate distressing feelings in general, Dr. Stern explains, practicing getting through them without doing anything to make the situation worse.

The lesson, she says, is that even if they feel things aren’t okay, they can get through it: “Even if it is just as awful as I think it is. Even if it doesn’t get better in any big hurry, I can survive it for another day or I can survive it for another however many weeks.”

The parents’ role

Another goal of the safety plan is to have not only the therapist but the teen’s parents know what the child is feeling. It can be very hard for parents to accept that their child is feeling bad enough to feel suicidal, but taking those feelings seriously is critical to keeping them safe. Validating their feelings by listening to them calmly, without judgment, is crucial to enlisting the child in not acting on impulses to harm themselves.  

Parents are often very reluctant to engage in a discussion of a child’s suicidal feelings because they’re afraid they will make the child more likely to act on them, or somehow give the child ideas. “But what we are doing is not putting ideas there that weren’t already there,” says Dr. Stern. “It’s really creating an open space to talk about it and to give parents language to talk about it.” Even if a child hasn’t expressed suicidal feelings directly, if a parent is worried that a child may be suicidal, the right thing to do is ask them about it.

And on the flip side, kids often feel they can’t tell their parents what they’re feeling because the parents will be too upset. That’s why it’s important for parents to be as calm as possible when discussing the safety plan. “This is not to say parents shouldn’t feel upset about it — of course they will. This is to say that parents need to use some of their own skills to get through that moment. Then you fall apart later. If you have a partner, or a support network, get the kids situated and then reach out and then fall apart.”

Sometimes Dr. Stern speaks to the parents separately before the safety plan discussion with the child. But sometimes there isn’t time. If the child is afraid of the parents’ response, Dr. Stern will mediate, keeping the focus on safety: “Here’s what your child needs from you right now.”

Or if the parents are reluctant to take a suicide threat seriously, she will say, “I understand you don’t want to do this, and you don’t want to take your child to the emergency room, because what if they’re bluffing? I hear you having the thought, ‘I don’t think my kid really means it.’ We have to err on the side of caution. Because what if they do? My priority is keeping them alive.”

A safety plan is not a guarantee of a child’s safety, but it is a concrete tool that can help everyone manage a situation that otherwise feels frightening and out of control. And by creating a structure to talk about it calmly, it can help an unhappy child take important steps towards dealing with their feelings without doing something harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a safety plan?

What is included in a safety plan for children and teens?

What is a parent’s role in a safety plan?

What is the long-term goal of a safety plan?

The long-term goal of a safety plan is to teach kids how to regulate distressing feelings without doing something harmful. It’s no guarantee against suicide, but since most teen suicides are impulsive, diverting them until the urge passes can save lives.

Important:
If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-reducing-suicide-risk-with-safety-plans/

Agreements aimed at keeping kids from harming themselves

Writer: Caroline Miller

Clinical Expert: Joanna Stern, PsyD

What You'll Learn

- How does a safety plan help keep kids from harming themselves?

- When is it appropriate to make a safety plan for a child or teen?

- What is the parents' role in a safety plan?

- Quick Article

- Full Article

- When is a safety plan needed?

- How is a safety plan developed?

- What’s in a safety plan?

- What to do in an emergency

- Checking in on the plan

- Tolerating distressing feelings

- The parents’ role

A safety plan is something a therapist uses when a child or teen expresses thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or harming others. It includes a series of steps meant to help the teen, when they are feeling overwhelmed, redirect their attention away from harmful thoughts or feelings. Together, the teen and the therapist create a list of triggers to identify when the teen is at risk of doing something harmful, followed by coping strategies to help ease that risk. The plan includes ways to calm down, things they can focus on that would make them want to live, and people they can reach out to for support.

The safety plan is then shared with the child’s parents, who agree to take steps to make the environment safer by removing things a child might use to hurt themselves. The plan also provides parents with the tools to discuss and understand their child’s feelings, which makes them feel heard. Kids are sometimes afraid to tell their parents how they’re really feeling.

The therapist regularly checks in with the teen to make sure they feel safe with the plan until their next session. There are steps to take if the plan isn’t working. The therapist will help parents identify the nearest ER best equipped for psychiatric emergencies, how to get there, and what to say to the 911 operator.

The long-term goal of the safety plan is to teach kids how to regulate distressing feelings without doing something harmful. It’s no guarantee against suicide, but since most teen suicides are impulsive, diverting them until the urge passes can save lives.

A safety plan is something mental health professionals use when a child or adolescent says or does something that suggests they are at risk of doing something harmful. It’s usually triggered by talk of suicidal feelings, but it could also be thoughts of self-injury or harming someone else.

The safety plan is a series of steps the child or teen agrees to take to cope with their feelings without doing something harmful. It usually involves things they can do to calm down, distract themselves from painful feelings, and reach out for support. And it involves things both the teen and their parents will do to make their environment safer, by removing things they could use to hurt themselves.

When is a safety plan needed?

The safety plan is usually prompted by something a teen says in a therapy session. “When some element of risk comes up in a session, we’ll drop the rest of the agenda at that moment and go into safety planning,” explains Joanna Stern, PsyD, a clinical psychologist. The clinician works with the teen to develop the plan, and after they’ve finished, it is shared with parents. The teen, the parents, and the clinician all sign the plan and agree to abide by it.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee that a teen will adhere to the plan if they have the urge to make a suicide attempt or some other harmful act. But it can save lives by diverting them until the urge passes.

That’s important because pre-teens and teenagers who make suicide attempts tend to be much more impulsive than adults. “Adults tend to make a plan — they will often have left a note. But that’s usually not the case with teenagers,” says Dr. Stern. “Making this safety plan for teens is to create more barriers, in that time when they’re at highest risk, to acting on those impulses.”

How is a safety plan developed?

Making a safety plan involves engaging the teenager in a detailed discussion of what they are having the urge to do — if it’s suicide, how are they imagining doing it? Knowing those specifics enables the clinician and the teen to discuss how to make the teen’s environment safer. For instance, if the teen is thinking about cutting their wrists, the plan would involve reducing their access to knives by having parents make them inaccessible. If there is a risk of jumping from a window, the windows need to be locked.

“If it involves pills, then we have parents get a lockbox and lock all pills in there, including some over-the-counter stuff that can be lethal,” Dr. Stern adds. Parents might also be asked to provide extra supervision. “If you have a teen who is traveling independently and routinely goes into a pharmacy by themselves, you want to make sure that you are doing things to monitor their actions.”

It’s important to understand that the goal of the safety plan is not to solve distressing problems, but to help the person get through the next few hours or days when a potentially harmful impulse strikes. So the plan involves ways to redirect their thinking or attention until the urge passes.

What’s in a safety plan?

A typical safety plan (see a sample here) includes a list of warning signs that both the teen and others can use to identify when they are at risk, and steps they can take to mitigate that risk. They often include language like the following:

- Triggers and warning signs that tell me when to use my plan (Examples: Feeling tense, thoughts of dying)

- Warning signs that others can see that show them I need help (Examples: Scared face, clenched fists)

- Coping strategies that I can do on my own to safely feel better (Examples: Practice relaxation skills, listen to calming music)

- People and social settings that provide distraction

- Things that make my environment safe (Examples: Preventing access to sharp objects, weapons, medications, and/or illegal substances)

- People that I can call for help and to feel safe (Examples: Parents, grandparents, trusted adult)

- Professionals/agencies that I can call for help and to feel safe (Examples: Therapist, school counselor, crisis center)

A safety plan typically also includes thoughts the teen might focus on that might mitigate against a suicidal impulse, such as reasons to stay alive. It’s not always easy. “Sometimes they say ‘Nothing. There’s nothing worth living for,’” Dr. Stern notes. “It’s really on us as the clinicians to work with them and say, ‘Okay, is there something even short term?’”

Sometimes, she adds, a teen will mention their dog — the thought of how sad their dog would be if they were gone could be a barrier to suicide. “It really is whatever might be the antidote in the moment to letting those dangerous thoughts and emotions take over.”

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

What to do in an emergency

At the bottom of the safety plan is a section about steps to take if the plan isn’t working.

Dr. Stern helps parents identify the nearest emergency room and, if there are several, which has more expertise and resources for handling psychiatric emergencies in children and teenagers — such as a child psychiatry training program and an inpatient unit in case a child needs to be admitted.

She also discusses with parents how they will get to the ER. “Let’s talk through what might happen,” she tells them. “Can you take them yourself safely? Walk them there or go in a cab? What would be the circumstances where you would need to call 911 instead?”

The goal, she explains, is to get parents comfortable, ahead of time, with the idea of calling 911. “The other things we have on there are suicide prevention lifeline phone number and crisis text line.”

Checking in on the plan

Once a plan is in place, Dr. Stern says the therapist checks in with the teen about the plan regularly.

The goal is to confirm that the teen still feels that the plan can keep them safe until their next session. If the child feels that the next session is too far away, she adds, “Then we’ll figure out a way to fit them in. Because we want to reinforce that help-seeking behavior before they engage in actions that are life-threatening.”

Parents can also remind kids of the plan if they’re concerned about a child’s safety. “If a teen comes back and says to them, ‘I know I promised this, but I just can’t do it,’ we talk to parents about what to do, such as take them to the ER, what to say when you take them to the ER — all of that stuff.”

Tolerating distressing feelings

While the concept of a safety plan is focused on helping the person get through the next few hours or days safely, there’s also a bigger picture. When kids have extremely powerful emotions, it’s important for them to learn that they don’t last forever.

When kids learn to use these coping strategies during the period of time where they feel the most intense, they are learning to tolerate distressing feelings in general, Dr. Stern explains, practicing getting through them without doing anything to make the situation worse.

The lesson, she says, is that even if they feel things aren’t okay, they can get through it: “Even if it is just as awful as I think it is. Even if it doesn’t get better in any big hurry, I can survive it for another day or I can survive it for another however many weeks.”

The parents’ role

Another goal of the safety plan is to have not only the therapist but the teen’s parents know what the child is feeling. It can be very hard for parents to accept that their child is feeling bad enough to feel suicidal, but taking those feelings seriously is critical to keeping them safe. Validating their feelings by listening to them calmly, without judgment, is crucial to enlisting the child in not acting on impulses to harm themselves.  

Parents are often very reluctant to engage in a discussion of a child’s suicidal feelings because they’re afraid they will make the child more likely to act on them, or somehow give the child ideas. “But what we are doing is not putting ideas there that weren’t already there,” says Dr. Stern. “It’s really creating an open space to talk about it and to give parents language to talk about it.” Even if a child hasn’t expressed suicidal feelings directly, if a parent is worried that a child may be suicidal, the right thing to do is ask them about it.

And on the flip side, kids often feel they can’t tell their parents what they’re feeling because the parents will be too upset. That’s why it’s important for parents to be as calm as possible when discussing the safety plan. “This is not to say parents shouldn’t feel upset about it — of course they will. This is to say that parents need to use some of their own skills to get through that moment. Then you fall apart later. If you have a partner, or a support network, get the kids situated and then reach out and then fall apart.”

Sometimes Dr. Stern speaks to the parents separately before the safety plan discussion with the child. But sometimes there isn’t time. If the child is afraid of the parents’ response, Dr. Stern will mediate, keeping the focus on safety: “Here’s what your child needs from you right now.”

Or if the parents are reluctant to take a suicide threat seriously, she will say, “I understand you don’t want to do this, and you don’t want to take your child to the emergency room, because what if they’re bluffing? I hear you having the thought, ‘I don’t think my kid really means it.’ We have to err on the side of caution. Because what if they do? My priority is keeping them alive.”

A safety plan is not a guarantee of a child’s safety, but it is a concrete tool that can help everyone manage a situation that otherwise feels frightening and out of control. And by creating a structure to talk about it calmly, it can help an unhappy child take important steps towards dealing with their feelings without doing something harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a safety plan?

What is included in a safety plan for children and teens?

What is a parent’s role in a safety plan?

What is the long-term goal of a safety plan?

The long-term goal of a safety plan is to teach kids how to regulate distressing feelings without doing something harmful. It’s no guarantee against suicide, but since most teen suicides are impulsive, diverting them until the urge passes can save lives.

Important:If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-reducing-suicide-risk-with-safety-plans/

Agreements aimed at keeping kids from harming themselves

Writer: Caroline Miller

Clinical Expert: Joanna Stern, PsyD

What You'll Learn

- How does a safety plan help keep kids from harming themselves?

- When is it appropriate to make a safety plan for a child or teen?

- What is the parents' role in a safety plan?

- Quick Article

- Full Article

- When is a safety plan needed?

- How is a safety plan developed?

- What’s in a safety plan?

- What to do in an emergency

- Checking in on the plan

- Tolerating distressing feelings

- The parents’ role

A safety plan is something a therapist uses when a child or teen expresses thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or harming others. It includes a series of steps meant to help the teen, when they are feeling overwhelmed, redirect their attention away from harmful thoughts or feelings. Together, the teen and the therapist create a list of triggers to identify when the teen is at risk of doing something harmful, followed by coping strategies to help ease that risk. The plan includes ways to calm down, things they can focus on that would make them want to live, and people they can reach out to for support.

The safety plan is then shared with the child’s parents, who agree to take steps to make the environment safer by removing things a child might use to hurt themselves. The plan also provides parents with the tools to discuss and understand their child’s feelings, which makes them feel heard. Kids are sometimes afraid to tell their parents how they’re really feeling.

The therapist regularly checks in with the teen to make sure they feel safe with the plan until their next session. There are steps to take if the plan isn’t working. The therapist will help parents identify the nearest ER best equipped for psychiatric emergencies, how to get there, and what to say to the 911 operator.

The long-term goal of the safety plan is to teach kids how to regulate distressing feelings without doing something harmful. It’s no guarantee against suicide, but since most teen suicides are impulsive, diverting them until the urge passes can save lives.

A safety plan is something mental health professionals use when a child or adolescent says or does something that suggests they are at risk of doing something harmful. It’s usually triggered by talk of suicidal feelings, but it could also be thoughts of self-injury or harming someone else.

The safety plan is a series of steps the child or teen agrees to take to cope with their feelings without doing something harmful. It usually involves things they can do to calm down, distract themselves from painful feelings, and reach out for support. And it involves things both the teen and their parents will do to make their environment safer, by removing things they could use to hurt themselves.

When is a safety plan needed?

The safety plan is usually prompted by something a teen says in a therapy session. “When some element of risk comes up in a session, we’ll drop the rest of the agenda at that moment and go into safety planning,” explains Joanna Stern, PsyD, a clinical psychologist. The clinician works with the teen to develop the plan, and after they’ve finished, it is shared with parents. The teen, the parents, and the clinician all sign the plan and agree to abide by it.

Obviously, there’s no guarantee that a teen will adhere to the plan if they have the urge to make a suicide attempt or some other harmful act. But it can save lives by diverting them until the urge passes.

That’s important because pre-teens and teenagers who make suicide attempts tend to be much more impulsive than adults. “Adults tend to make a plan — they will often have left a note. But that’s usually not the case with teenagers,” says Dr. Stern. “Making this safety plan for teens is to create more barriers, in that time when they’re at highest risk, to acting on those impulses.”

How is a safety plan developed?

Making a safety plan involves engaging the teenager in a detailed discussion of what they are having the urge to do — if it’s suicide, how are they imagining doing it? Knowing those specifics enables the clinician and the teen to discuss how to make the teen’s environment safer. For instance, if the teen is thinking about cutting their wrists, the plan would involve reducing their access to knives by having parents make them inaccessible. If there is a risk of jumping from a window, the windows need to be locked.

“If it involves pills, then we have parents get a lockbox and lock all pills in there, including some over-the-counter stuff that can be lethal,” Dr. Stern adds. Parents might also be asked to provide extra supervision. “If you have a teen who is traveling independently and routinely goes into a pharmacy by themselves, you want to make sure that you are doing things to monitor their actions.”

It’s important to understand that the goal of the safety plan is not to solve distressing problems, but to help the person get through the next few hours or days when a potentially harmful impulse strikes. So the plan involves ways to redirect their thinking or attention until the urge passes.

What’s in a safety plan?

A typical safety plan (see a sample here) includes a list of warning signs that both the teen and others can use to identify when they are at risk, and steps they can take to mitigate that risk. They often include language like the following:

- Triggers and warning signs that tell me when to use my plan (Examples: Feeling tense, thoughts of dying)

- Warning signs that others can see that show them I need help (Examples: Scared face, clenched fists)

- Coping strategies that I can do on my own to safely feel better (Examples: Practice relaxation skills, listen to calming music)

- People and social settings that provide distraction

- Things that make my environment safe (Examples: Preventing access to sharp objects, weapons, medications, and/or illegal substances)

- People that I can call for help and to feel safe (Examples: Parents, grandparents, trusted adult)

- Professionals/agencies that I can call for help and to feel safe (Examples: Therapist, school counselor, crisis center)

A safety plan typically also includes thoughts the teen might focus on that might mitigate against a suicidal impulse, such as reasons to stay alive. It’s not always easy. “Sometimes they say ‘Nothing. There’s nothing worth living for,’” Dr. Stern notes. “It’s really on us as the clinicians to work with them and say, ‘Okay, is there something even short term?’”

Sometimes, she adds, a teen will mention their dog — the thought of how sad their dog would be if they were gone could be a barrier to suicide. “It really is whatever might be the antidote in the moment to letting those dangerous thoughts and emotions take over.”

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

What to do in an emergency

At the bottom of the safety plan is a section about steps to take if the plan isn’t working.

Dr. Stern helps parents identify the nearest emergency room and, if there are several, which has more expertise and resources for handling psychiatric emergencies in children and teenagers — such as a child psychiatry training program and an inpatient unit in case a child needs to be admitted.

She also discusses with parents how they will get to the ER. “Let’s talk through what might happen,” she tells them. “Can you take them yourself safely? Walk them there or go in a cab? What would be the circumstances where you would need to call 911 instead?”

The goal, she explains, is to get parents comfortable, ahead of time, with the idea of calling 911. “The other things we have on there are suicide prevention lifeline phone number and crisis text line.”

Checking in on the plan

Once a plan is in place, Dr. Stern says the therapist checks in with the teen about the plan regularly.

The goal is to confirm that the teen still feels that the plan can keep them safe until their next session. If the child feels that the next session is too far away, she adds, “Then we’ll figure out a way to fit them in. Because we want to reinforce that help-seeking behavior before they engage in actions that are life-threatening.”

Parents can also remind kids of the plan if they’re concerned about a child’s safety. “If a teen comes back and says to them, ‘I know I promised this, but I just can’t do it,’ we talk to parents about what to do, such as take them to the ER, what to say when you take them to the ER — all of that stuff.”

Tolerating distressing feelings

While the concept of a safety plan is focused on helping the person get through the next few hours or days safely, there’s also a bigger picture. When kids have extremely powerful emotions, it’s important for them to learn that they don’t last forever.

When kids learn to use these coping strategies during the period of time where they feel the most intense, they are learning to tolerate distressing feelings in general, Dr. Stern explains, practicing getting through them without doing anything to make the situation worse.

The lesson, she says, is that even if they feel things aren’t okay, they can get through it: “Even if it is just as awful as I think it is. Even if it doesn’t get better in any big hurry, I can survive it for another day or I can survive it for another however many weeks.”

The parents’ role

Another goal of the safety plan is to have not only the therapist but the teen’s parents know what the child is feeling. It can be very hard for parents to accept that their child is feeling bad enough to feel suicidal, but taking those feelings seriously is critical to keeping them safe. Validating their feelings by listening to them calmly, without judgment, is crucial to enlisting the child in not acting on impulses to harm themselves.  

Parents are often very reluctant to engage in a discussion of a child’s suicidal feelings because they’re afraid they will make the child more likely to act on them, or somehow give the child ideas. “But what we are doing is not putting ideas there that weren’t already there,” says Dr. Stern. “It’s really creating an open space to talk about it and to give parents language to talk about it.” Even if a child hasn’t expressed suicidal feelings directly, if a parent is worried that a child may be suicidal, the right thing to do is ask them about it.

And on the flip side, kids often feel they can’t tell their parents what they’re feeling because the parents will be too upset. That’s why it’s important for parents to be as calm as possible when discussing the safety plan. “This is not to say parents shouldn’t feel upset about it — of course they will. This is to say that parents need to use some of their own skills to get through that moment. Then you fall apart later. If you have a partner, or a support network, get the kids situated and then reach out and then fall apart.”

Sometimes Dr. Stern speaks to the parents separately before the safety plan discussion with the child. But sometimes there isn’t time. If the child is afraid of the parents’ response, Dr. Stern will mediate, keeping the focus on safety: “Here’s what your child needs from you right now.”

Or if the parents are reluctant to take a suicide threat seriously, she will say, “I understand you don’t want to do this, and you don’t want to take your child to the emergency room, because what if they’re bluffing? I hear you having the thought, ‘I don’t think my kid really means it.’ We have to err on the side of caution. Because what if they do? My priority is keeping them alive.”

A safety plan is not a guarantee of a child’s safety, but it is a concrete tool that can help everyone manage a situation that otherwise feels frightening and out of control. And by creating a structure to talk about it calmly, it can help an unhappy child take important steps towards dealing with their feelings without doing something harmful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a safety plan?

What is included in a safety plan for children and teens?

What is a parent’s role in a safety plan?

What is the long-term goal of a safety plan?

The long-term goal of a safety plan is to teach kids how to regulate distressing feelings without doing something harmful. It’s no guarantee against suicide, but since most teen suicides are impulsive, diverting them until the urge passes can save lives.

Important:If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=15642