Update on son's friend who attempted suicide

[missypie]

The girl is fine physically. Spent about a week and a half in a teen mental facility...NEVER wants to go back there again. DS talked to her for a LONG time last night.

The scary thing is what prompted the attempt. She brought home a low grade on a report card. Parents jumped on her like we all do...said they were taking away game boy and play station until she brought her grade up, etc...no unusually cruel punishments (at least not in this parent's eyes). She gets mad and is still mad a few hours later...takes her shower, then sees the bottle of tylenol and takes what is in it.

As a parent, we all want our kids to do well in school; it's reasonable for there to be consequences for grades that are far below the child's potential. I think I heard the entire "blow by blow" and the parents didn't do or say anything outrageous. How would you know that your kid is going to react to reasonable discipline witha suicide attempt? Pretty scary!

 

[WeirdEyes]

The scary thing is what prompted the attempt. She brought home a low grade on a report card. Parents jumped on her like we all do...said they were taking away game boy and play station until she brought her grade up, etc...no unusually cruel punishments (at least not in this parent's eyes). She gets mad and is still mad a few hours later...takes her shower, then sees the bottle of tylenol and takes what is in it.

This happened with my stepson, but it wasn't over grades. He got into a fight over something stupid and we grounded him from his guitar. However, he took about 10 anti-deppressants that he was already on. He had been in counseling for several years. He was very sick that night, but his physician said he didn't take enough to have his stomach pumped. That was a horrible night for our whole family. This happened when my stepson was 13. He is now 19 and goes to college and is doing wonderfully. It just makes you wonder what goes through kid's minds sometimes.

 

[tmq2766]

So happy she is Ok.
Sounds like there are some other more serious underlying problems.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Sounds like there are some other more serious underlying problems.

As someone who has been there, I can say that there usually are.

Glad your DS's friend is ok and I hope she gets the help she needs. Sounds like she needs it desperately.


TOV

 

[mommytotwo]

Glad to hear that she is doing ok. I think she will need much more help to get through this along with her family. I'm glad that your son still has his dear friend around.

 

[Cruise04]

Interesting that in both cases listed above it was after superficial items were being taken away. Too bad the kids rely on that stuff as so much of their lives and when it's gone they think their lives are too. Yes, it is usually something more, more underlying issues but if that is the most severe punishment - what would these kids have done when I was growing up and got spanked and really reprimanded. Makes ya think

By the way - so people don't think I'm not sensitive enough - I'm also glad she is okay.

 

[JoenAdamnErinnSam]

Just need to input..on Monday I went to a wake for a father of 2 daughters(17 and 14)-he was someone I knew from my old job-and he was one of the happiest people I ever met in my life. And I am now sadder than I've ever been in my life..he was only 36,and he was on antidepressants-believe me it's NOT ok to let it go,to make excuses,to think they will be ok.My sister has been on them for years-so when she called me the day after the wake not in a good way-she was very down-I told her I would come to her right then-Please don't blow it off-someday it may be too late.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think that sometimes kids don't realize that suicide is a final solution. I herad it described very well once as "a final solution to a temporary problem".

I am hoping this girl's parents are getting her evaluated, and she is continuing to see a mental health professional now that she is out of the psych hospital. If she is truly having deeper problems, it can only help. If she is not, and it was a stupid, thoughtless thing that she didn't think would go as far as it did(and I have cared for teenagers who have truly thought this), then the aggravation of the whole situation will teach her a hard lesson.

I had a young person once on my floor who was a suicide attempt, and he was very aggravated the next day because he had a 1 to 1 sitter, he couldn't even go to the bathroom alone! He kept saying over and over "I really didn't want to kill myself. I was trying to scrae my parents." Well, he succeeded in scaring his parents, true enough, but he also succeeded in buying himself a 15 day commitment.

Note to teenagers, if you don't REALLY want to kill yourself, don't try to do something to "scare" or "teach" someone a lesson. In the end, you lose.

 

[poohandwendy]

I hope she is getting the help she needs, how sad for everyone involved!

Just a FYI....that I wish all teens knew:

Tylenol is a commonly used 'suicide attempt' OTCD. It is in accessable in most homes and many teens think they will shock or scare their loved ones by ODing on it, but be ok. That is NOT true, in many cases. Too much tylenol causes kidney and liver damage, often fatal and irreversable! My SIL works as a nurse in an ER...she sees case after case of Tylenol deaths in teens who were trying to make a statement, but not neccesarily die. She said it is a horrible, horrible way to die. And in any cases, the child ends up with serious health problems as a result. Please discuss the dangers of tylenol usage and overdose. And if you ever find someone who has taken more than the prescribed dosage...get help quickly! Do NOT 'wait and see'. Time is of the essence.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Very sad, children wanting to die. I do hope she gets help, not to be swept behind and over. And again, recalling the incident, so happy for your son.