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Keeping Our Kids Alive

$31.77  Paperback
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Lyn O'Grady Australian author

  • Keeping Our Kids Alive
  • Keeping Our Kids Alive
    Help for any parent or health professional wanting to connect and communicate with teenagers when  dealing with the topic of suicide.

230 pages
2020
ISBN: 9781925644401

Suicide is a confronting topic. As a parent, it may represent the greatest fear for our family. Yet, for many, there is a misguided belief that talking about suicide with young people causes further distress. Research shows otherwise — not talking about suicide can be harmful.

Psychologist Lyn O’Grady has spent decades working, researching and presenting on better mental health for children, young people and families. Along the way, she has witnessed the desperate struggle with life that suicidal thoughts and feelings bring. She has also seen countless books about parenting, usually featuring simplistic recipe-type approaches that can be appealing but challenging to implement at times of crisis.

So she wrote this book to explain exactly what it means to be a parent of a teenager who is struggling with suicidal thoughts and behaviours and how to help. Drawing on practical experience across a range of community settings, the lived experience of people and families who have experienced suicidality, and the latest research and theories in the field, this book helps:

  • to arm parents with knowledge so they can better understand what’s going on with their teenager
  • to provide space to reflect on their parenting and to look after themselves
  • to not feel alone; and
  • to know what to do to support their teenagers during difficult times.

This book will help any parent or health worker working with families to understand how to connect and communicate with teenagers when dealing with the topic of suicide.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The purpose of this book

A quick note about language

Talking to your teenager about this book

How did you get here?

PART A Understanding parenting and suicide

Chapter 1 - Being a parent of a teenager

  • Parenting experiences
  • Attachment
  • Parenting styles
  • Being a 'good enough' parent

Reflection: The meaning of parenting to you

Chapter 2 - Teenage development

  • Brain development and neuroscience
  • Search for identity and meaning
  • Importance of friends and belonging
  • Where do parents fit in?
  • Dependence and independence

Reflection: Your teenager's stage of development

Chapter 3 - What's different about being a parent of a teenager

compared to a parent of a younger child?

  • Trust and confidentiality
  • Learning to let go
  • Values
  • Handling conflict
  • What caring looks like
  • The role of the school

Reflection: Making sense of parenting for you at the moment

Chapter 4 - Understanding suicide

  • Some theories about suicide

    Chapter 5 - Suicide risk and protective factors and warning signs

    • Common myths about suicide
    • Risk and protective factors

    Chapter 6 - What do we know about youth suicide?

  • What does research tell us about young people in Australia and suicide?

  • What might lead up to a suicide attempt by a young person?

    • What might this mean for your teenager?

    Chapter 7 - Understanding suicide from a young persons perspective

    Reflection: Understanding suicide from a young persons perspective

    Chapter 8 - The experience of being a parent of a teenager who is suicidal

    Part B Parenting a teenager who is suicidal

    Chapter 9 - Safety first - managing the suicidal crisis

    • What might a crisis look like?
    • Seeking immediate help during a crisis
    • Types of help available
    • Assessments

    Chapter 10 - Safety planning

  • Safety planning and your role

    Chapter 11 - Seeking ongoing help

    • Communication and trust
    • Plan for a return to school with support
    • Role of families and friends
    • Help your teenager to continue to build their problem solving capacity

    Chapter 12 - Mental health diagnoses and types of interventions

    • Working with mental health professionals
    • Getting a mental health diagnosis
    • Getting an accurate diagnosis
    • Treatments for suicidality

    Chapter 13 - Self-care and seeking help for yourself

    • Dealing with feelings of shame and guilt
    • Facing fears

    Chapter 14 - Family relationships

    • Supporting the entire family unit
    • The parenting relationship(s)
    • Impact on sibling(s): their responses and needs
    • Building resilience and deeper connections
    • Importance of maintaining and strengthening relationships
    • Harnessing key parenting skills

    Chapter 15 - Tackling the underlying individual suicide risk factors

    • Mental health problems
    • Sense of self and self worth
    • Body image
    • Sexuality
    • Alcohol and other drugs
    • Technology use
    • Sleep

    Chapter 16 - Tackling the broader social issues underlying suicide risk

    • Social relationships - including bullying and relationship break-ups
    • Knowing someone who has died by suicide
    • Family relationships
    • School and study problems

    Chapter 17 - Moving forward

    • Helping young people find meaning in life and hope for the future
    • Dealing with the present while looking forward
    • Being there when times get tough
    • Planning to get through tough times

    Conclusion

    Bibliography and further reading

    Appendix A - What to do if your child is not yet a teenager

    Appendix B - What to do if your child is a young adult

    Appendix C - Useful resources