What to Do when Your Teenager Threatens Suicide

Horomones, problems at school, feelings of inadequacy and emotional development can all play a part when a teenager threatens suicide. Sometimes they are looking for attention, and sometimes they have every intention of following through with their threats. Regardless of the motivation, however, you should never treat it as an empty threat. When your teenager threatens suicide, you should act quickly and ask questions later.

When Your Teenager Threatens Suicide: Don't Let Him or Her Out of Your Sight

The most important thing to do when your teenager threatens suicide is to keep him her or in your line of sight. Even if you are absolutely certain that your teenager is crying out for attention -- and therefor has no intention of following through -- you will never forgive yourself if your suspicions are wrong. The fact that your teenager has come to you with this threat is a good sign; it usually means that the child wants to be talked out of it.

When Your Teenager Threatens Suicide: Contact the Authorities

Depending on the time of day, you have a few options for who you should contact. Realize that you cannot handle this yourself, no matter how close you are with your teenager. Threats of suicide mean that you need an expert's assistance in the matter, regardless of the time or circumstance. If it happens during the day (business hours), you might consider calling a psychiatrist and making an emergency appointment. This might be difficult if you don't live in a large city, but most psychiatrists will arrange emergency visits. If it happens during the night, however, your best bet might be to call the police.

When Your Teenager Threatens Suicide: Listen Carefully

Often, a teenager's threat of suicide is simply the manifestation of a desire to be heard. Once your teenager has received emergency attention, you should do your best to talk with him or her. Find out why life is so unbearable that he or she would contemplate suicide, and try not to offer advice or make threats. This isn't the time for tough love or discipline, but to get to know your teenager as well as possible.

When Your Teenager Threatens Suicide: Realize There's Only So Much You Can Do

Short of locking your child up in the psych ward of a hospital or keeping tabs on your teenager all day, every day, there's only so much you can do. Unfortunately, teenagers find ways to commit suicide all the time, so you'll need to get help immediately. Listening, talking and commiserating will work wonders, but you should also determine if there are any underlying problems, specifically organic disorders. Depression and other psychological disorders can also play a part, and you might want to request a full psychological and physical work-up to determine whether medication or therapy might help.

When Your Teenager Threatens Suicide: Notify Other Adults

If your teenager has regular contact with other adults -- teachers, counselors, friends' parents or instructors -- make sure they are aware that a suicide threat has been made. If adults are consistently on the look-out for signs of depression or intent to commit suicide, you're more likely to catch the problem before it's too late. However, you should do this with as much discretion as possible, and without alerting your teenager. If your child feels that he or she is being treated differently or gets ridiculed by classmates, it might strengthen the desire to commit suicide.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article should not be construed as advice from a professional. If you have the slightest inkling that your teenager might commit suicide -- whether voiced or not -- please seek the help of a mental health professional immediately.