Have you ever wondered about how to tell your therapist when you feel suicidal?
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC WiSQARS 2020).
We know how serious this can be and how impactful it is to everyone's lives-
whether you've experienced this, or someone in your vicinity has.
⚠️ Content Warning: This video contains content related to Suicide. Please take the appropriate steps to protect your mental health + expectations. In the US you can text the Crisis Text Line 24/7 at 741-741.
If you prefer to watch the video, click this image here:
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TRIGGER WARNING
You may need to pause and take a break, then come back to this later. You may even have a friend read or watch this video post first and give you the information.
I fully support you taking care of your mental health.
If at any point any of this feels too overwhelming, too much or you start to realize that you need help right now, make use of your local crisis support numbers.
If you prefer to read, here’s what you need to know about telling your therapist when you feel suicidal (+ get help):
GET TO KNOW THEM (+ LET THEM GET TO KNOW YOU)
Experiencing any sort of suicidal thinking or urges can feel really scary, especially if you've never had those thoughts or urges before.
It's really important to take some time to get to know your therapist so that you feel comfortable with them. It is our desire to create a welcoming and safe space for all of our clients. We want it to feel easy to talk about the icky things with us.
Getting to know your therapist and letting them get to know you will make it easier to talk about these thoughts or these urges as they occur.
BE CLEAR + DIRECT
Now, we do not expect you to divulge every single experience of your life in just one session. We know that we are limited by time and so we really try to do our best to get to the hotspots.
What is impacting you currently?
What is keeping you from living your ideal dream life?
So when you do decide to share this information with your therapist, please, please, please be clear and direct about it. It is not a wise idea to leave it open to interpretation.
Many people are really fearful and worried that if they share with their therapist that they're feeling suicidal and they're really direct about it, that that means an automatic ticket to the hospital. And for some therapists, that is true. But for many of us, we're not trying to send you to the hospital unless you absolutely need it.
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WE MAY NOT BE THE BEST FIT
Keep in mind, mental health therapy and counseling is a wide field with many specializations.
I happen to be somebody who specializes and is highly trained in:
Suicidal Thinking in teenagers
Self Harm, or Self Injury
Anxiety
Depression
These are the areas where I feel most comfortable intervening and assisting my clients.
If you happen to be working with a therapist who isn't trained yet, or isn't comfortable treating people who experience suicidality, they may refer you out to somebody who is more skilled and trained in that area.
That's not to say that they're not a good therapist, it's not to say that they're not even a skilled therapist, it's actually healthy and a good sign if a therapist knows their limitations on their expertise and can then link you up with the appropriate help and care that you deserve and need.
SUPPORTIVE ADULTS
Your therapist may ask who the supportive adults are in your life? This is so important.
We know that we only get a short amount of time out of your day, out of your week, out of your month, however frequently we're seeing you.
We wanna make sure that you have enough healthy supportive adults around you, outside the therapy room.
Some supportive adults that you could consider are:
Your Parents, or a Caregiver
Adult Family Relative, like an older brother or sister, aunt or uncle
Neighbor
Schoolteacher
Coach
There are endless possibilities here. This is not a situation where it's a good idea to go it alone.
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KEEP TALKING
Being able to let that person know what's going on, what helps, and how they can be helpful is really important. Be sure to ask if they are up to that task or challenge. You wanna be set up for success here.
Please know that these are never one and done conversations.
It is so important to keep talking about it. We know that just because you have suicidal thoughts and you talk about it once, we hope that that's the end of it, but that doesn't mean that it is.
It's so important that you keep checking in and you keep talking about it!
Tell me….
I hope that you found this information valuable and helpful and if you did, let me know in the comments over on my YouTube channel- you can click here to go to this video.
And please be sure to share this video because you never know who you could be helping in the process.
If you want to know more about the 4 DBT Crisis Survival Skills you can use when you reach your TIPPing point, click here to watch a great video on this very important topic.
Want even more positive influences in your teen's life? Teen Girls Therapy Group is a weekly space where your teen girl can connect with others dealing with anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem. By talking and learning together, they learn to feel better about the relationships they have with themselves and others.
If you want to secure your teen's spot- schedule your complimentary 15-min parent phone screening by completing the contact form here.
IF YOU ARE CONCERNED THAT YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, MAY BE CONSIDERING KILLING THEMSELVES, PLEASE CONNECT THEM WITH HELP.
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
1-800-273-8255
✨ Call 24/7 ✨
