Whether as simple as minor self-inflicted wounds or as serious as a suicide attempt, aggression turned inward through self-destructive behavior is a signal of intense stress.

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When a Child Tries to End It All

“What would happen if I slept for a hundred years?” Lettie asked her father. A childish question, he thought. But Lettie was not being frivolous. Several days later she was hospitalized because of swallowing a full bottle of sleeping pills.

What should you do if your child thinks about or actually attempts suicide? “Seek immediate professional help,” urges the book Depression​—What Families Should Know. “Treating potential suicides is not a job for amateurs, even those who care about the depressed person a great deal. You may think you’ve talked your family member out of suicide when all he or she is doing is clamming up and keeping all the feelings inside until they explode with horrifying results.”

With proper treatment, there is hope for a child who tries to end it all. “Most people who attempt suicide really don’t want to kill themselves,” the above-quoted book states. “They simply want to stop hurting. Their attempts are a cry for help.” In the Christian congregation, parents who are at a loss to handle suicidal tendencies may receive loving support and good Scriptural advice from the elders.