Signs That A Child Is Thinking About Suicide
Unfortunately, suicide often comes without warning, without waiting for it, without knowing why everything has happened. Therefore, it is necessary to be attentive to the signs, because they will be the ones that tell us that something is happening and those that can help us stop those atrocious thoughts from the mind of a minor. We are going to talk to you about signs that indicate that a child is thinking about suicide.
Suicide in children is something that really happens, although the adult world wants to look elsewhere thinking that it will never touch them in the bosom of their family. Suicide appears when the person (at any age) does not find another way out of suffering and pain so deep that he feels. It is a deep sadness that distorts and obscures thought.
It is true that it is horrible to think that children, being in the prime of life, being so innocent, are capable of taking their own lives. Although we think that childhood should be a time of absolute happiness for the little ones, this is not always the case. Therefore, it is necessary to know what the most subtle signals are.
Suicide in childhood
Suicide in childhood occurs between 5 and 14 years, and it is from this age when it can be carried out with more success; in fact, it is one of the most probable causes of death in young boys and girls.
In adolescence it is more critical in development, because they feel pressured, more stressed, question their identity, withdraw from the family, isolate themselves, feel unprotected, have distortions of reality, personality disorders difficult to diagnose may appear due to the volatility of the stage they are in, etc.
When a child or adolescent cannot find a solid support network of friends or family, they feel abandoned. This feeling of abandonment for them is even worse than death.
It is necessary to be aware that suicide can be prevented with good professional advice and, in many cases, with the intervention of a specialist. But in addition to the importance of professional intervention, it is very important to be attentive to the signs that can be detected in order to ask the specialist for help as soon as possible.
Signs that a child is thinking about suicide
There are some signs that can indicate that a child wants to commit suicide. If you think your child meets any of them, then you need to seek professional help as soon as possible.
- Has few social skills.
- It costs him or does not ask for help.
- If you ask for help, it is in such a subtle way that it is difficult to notice.
- You consider him to be a more mature child, both emotionally and physically.
- Has cognitive inflexibility.
- It is difficult for you to give in to opinions that differ from yours.
- You tend to have pessimistic thoughts about life.
- Has low self-esteem or has a shy or withdrawn demeanor.
Of course, although these signs do not have to be significant, the reality is that if you believe or intuit that your child may have these types of thoughts, then you will have to seek help as soon as possible.
Circumstances that may make the child suicidal
There are some circumstances that can cause children to have suicidal thoughts. Some of these circumstances may be the following:
- Depression.
- Affective or behavioral disorders.
- Personality disorders.
- Being bullied.
- Previous suicide attempts.
- Academic problems.
- Too much demand on your person.
- Loss of a loved one.
- Parental divorce.
- Violence or mistreatment of any kind.
The best protection for a child thinking about suicide
The best protection will always be to observe the child’s behavior closely and not look away when they are sad or affected for a specific reason. The biggest protective factor against suicide is having strong family support.
For a child to ask for help we have to always be available. In any moment, in any place. You must know that we will always be by your side, without anything else being important to us. You need to tell him and remind him because he needs us to do it.
Even if you know that you will always be by his side, if his perception prevents him from seeing it, then it will not be so clear to him. You must tell them and also demonstrate it with your actions. To do this, you will have to have a good approach and always open the path of dialogue and communication.
Show your concern by saying phrases like “I want to help you. ” Validate their emotions so that they learn to channel them correctly and that at no time they feel judged. It conveys that problems are temporary in life, that a solution can always be sought. It is important to work on self-esteem, social relationships and have a pleasant environment in your life.
