How to stop suicide

​

      More than ever before, people understand that caring for our mental health is as important as caring for our physical health. However, there is still much work that needs to be done to break stigmas that contribute to unnecessary shame and misunderstanding of mental illness.

Unfortunately, children with ADHD are at an increased risk of experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts or behaviors throughout their lifetime, which suggests emotional and social factors should be a focus of care for these children.

      People are spending more time on social media than ever. Most posts are harmless depictions of life in general; status updates, pictures of friends or food, or even a joke. However, sometimes people discuss personal topics and show signs that things are not willing. As parents, it can be upsetting and confusing to see children intentionally hurting each other physically or emotionally. When bullying occurs, we search for simple explanations and solutions. Talking to your child about suicide may be the toughest and most uncomfortable conversation you ever have, but it may also be the most important. Listening makes your child more comfortable about sharing thoughts and feelings that are upsetting and deeply personal.
      One of the best things we can do is give our young people the power to talk about mental health issues and topics as challenging as suicide without shutting the door. Even if your child is doing well, this is a powerful opportunity to help your child see it is okay to be emotionally open and could help them talk openly with friends.

      Self-injury is the act of physically hurting oneself without the intent to die. It is a sign of emotional distress and indicates a person has a lack of healthy coping skills. The most common forms of self-injury are cutting, burning, or scratching the skin and bruising the body tissue.

Facebook has been collaborating with suicide prevention organizations for more than a decade to identify users at risk for suicide and to provide them with crisis resources. Depression is a real and serious condition. It is not much different than a chronic health condition in its ability to impact someone’s life. It can have both emotional and physical symptoms and make life very difficult for those who have it.

      This is part two of a three-part series on myths surrounding suicide. When it comes to suicide, there’s a lot of competing information that makes it hard to tell myth from fact. But knowing the facts may allow us to take life-saving steps to help our children.
      This is part three of a three-part series on myths surrounding suicide. Stigma is defined as a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding mental illness creates shame, distress, and reluctance to get help. Talking to your child about suicide may be the toughest conversation you ever have, but it may also be the most important. Depression is different from a regular down mood, because it lasts longer and feels stronger or different from typical sadness. Sometimes it is a feeling of emptiness, lack of feeling or being irritable, cranky and easily angered.