Treat child depression seriously
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“You need to act upon your suspicions,” Dunlap said. “I think there’s such a thing as parental intuition. Sometimes we have those feelings that something’s not quite right. Don’t be afraid to ask your children questions about their feelings or what’s going on in their lives.
“And then, if those questions lead to some conversations that lead to further concerns, don’t be afraid to seek professional help and guidance. Let the professionals tell you they’re just going through a phase.”
Dunlap was one of seven panelists of medical, mental health and religious professionals who combined forces Tuesday night to address the topic of teen suicide, including its causes and warning signs, in an effort to assist parents in preventing this “silent epidemic” from claiming their children.
Pediatrician Cliff Seyler spoke of a number of risk-taking behaviors that may result in suicide. While mentioning the more obvious behaviors of alcohol and drug use, he used his opportunity to speak to educate those in attendance to the “dirty little secret” of auto-erotic asphyxiation.
“I think you need to know a little about this because some say as many of 25 percent of the kids who are diagnosed as a suicide have actually had this experience,” he said.
Auto-erotic asphyxiation involves severely restricting the flow of oxygen to the brain in order to achieve a more intense orgasm. But all too often, Seyler said, participants go too far, lose consciousness and die.
Of the 100 plus parents in attendance, many submitted questions to the panel. One common one was, “How do I discipline my child without risk pushing him or her over the edge?”
Dr. David Mathis, a psychologist, said the key to knowing how far is too far is in your relationship with your teen.
“There’s already a lot of pressure that’s put on adolescents to grow up and face life ? and we can really be adding more pressure than we realize they’re already getting. But it comes back to relationships, that’s the balance of knowing that we have a responsibility as parents, but if we lose the relationship with them we’re no longer there to lead and guide them the way we want to,” Mathis said.
“We’ve got to be OK with giving them some freedom, but not letting them go, and making sure we’re communicating and we’re picking the right things to fight over because we can’t fight over everything because not everything is as important as others.”
Warren County High School’s suicide prevention forum can be heard in its entirety on WCPI 91.3 FM at 5 p.m. Wednesday.