Suicidality & Self-harm
There is little more terrifying to a parent than realizing that your child has attempted suicide or has expressed suicidal thoughts. As scary as suicidality is, your situation is not hopeless. I give clients who express suicidal thoughts a copy of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) which is an evidence-based protocol designed to prevent suicide. I will also do a Collaborative Assessment & Management of Suicide (CAMS) to help me evaluate the situation in detail. Together, we discuss your child’s unique situation and create a safety plan.
It is my working philosophy that most kids and teens benefit from a combination of individual and family therapy. While giving your child a chance to sort out issues individually is helpful, I find that when kids and teens feel like they can communicate openly with their parents, suicidal thoughts are reduced drastically.
Even kids from the most loving families with no history of trauma or adverse childhood experiences can experience suicidal thoughts. This is often not a reflection of your parenting skills or the amount of love you demonstrate to your child. Kids and teens can struggle with impulsivity, negative thoughts, and low self-esteem even in the best of circumstances.
In other situations, traumatic experiences such as abuse, divorce, or substance abuse in the family do have a direct impact on the mental health of an individual, and coping skills may seem out of reach.
Therapy can go a long way to decreasing or eliminating suicidal thoughts and feelings of hopelessness. Consulting with your child’s pediatrician or psychiatrist about the appropriateness of medication and other treatment options for your child is usually a good way to ensure comprehensive care.
Self-harm such as cutting is often not a sign of suicidality but may indicate that a teen is struggling with an emotional pain that seems overwhelming. People who self-harm often describe the motivation to do so as a way to feel something rather than feel nothing, or to concentrate their attention on a physical pain rather than an emotional pain, or as a way to distract from other intense and unpleasant feelings. Some teens also hear about peers doing it and experiment with self-harm in a way that is similar to experimenting with drugs or alcohol.
If you have discovered that your teen or tween has been expressing suicidal thoughts or has been experimenting with self-harm, there is hope. If you are an adult that struggles with suicidality or self-harm, you have likely struggled for years alone, but you are not alone and there is hope for you too. Book your first appointment below or contact me for more information.