September is National Suicide Prevention Month – a moment that serves as a powerful reminder that there are steps we all must take in looking out for loved ones, the people in our community, and those who have been impacted by this leading cause of death.
It’s time to take one big step together.
Since 2002, millions of people have attended the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s OUT OF THE DARKNESS WALKS in communities across the country, raising awareness and funds that go toward education programs, advocacy efforts, and scientific research that reveals how we can save more lives.
By walking with others, we find comfort in knowing we are not alone, and that we are connected through great purpose to healing and support. So join us – as parents, neighbors, family members, classmates and colleagues – and find an Out of the Darkness Walk near you, as we all take a step in the right direction: towards HOPE.
Talking To Your Kids About Suicide
Suicide is a real risk for our youth, it remains the second leading cause of death for youth age 10-24 in the United States. It is very important for you to know that suicide isn’t about bad parenting! One of the simplest and most accurate definitions of suicide states that it is an alternative solution to a problem of intense emotional distress by someone whose problem-solving skills are impaired. There may be many reasons for the impairment, and being compromised mentally or emotionally is usually at the top of the list. Possibly more helpful to you right now than understanding the causes of suicide is outlining steps that may help you recognize if your child may be at risk – and what you can do about it.
Step 1: Keep your head out of the sand!
We know that it can be hard for any parent to acknowledge that their child may be struggling with something that’s beyond their capacity as a parent to fix; yet having thoughts about taking one’s life is one of those things that really requires professional intervention. Your part in this process is to pay attention to your child ‘s feelings and behavior, to ask about what concerns you, and, if necessary, get professional help. How do you do all that? Take a deep breath and read on.
Step 2: Recognize warning signs.
Take a look at the column to the right. This is a list of the more common warning signs we see in young people, organized under the acronym FACTS. As you read it you may find yourself wondering if these behaviors aren’t common in most adolescents. The answer of course may be ‘yes’, so we have to drill down a little farther. Think about this series of questions:
- How often have you noticed any of the FACTS? If you see more than one and you see them lasting at least two weeks, that may be a sign that they’re more serious than common adolescent behaviors. Be really concerned if you hear any talk or threats about suicide, especially if these are accompanied with changes in behavior or appearance. Remember, threats may be subtle: “I’ve changed my mind about college, I don’t want to go anymore”; “I’m tired of my friends; “There’s just no point…”.
- Are other people worried about your child? Sometimes your child’s friends, classmates or teachers may express concern about your child. Listen to what they say! They may be observing things that you don’t see and their perspective is important. Peers in particular are often the first to know when a friend seems different so don’t dismiss what they have to say.
Step 3: Ask questions and listen to the answers.
It’s really hard to hear a child tell you something that’s upsetting without trying to fix it. We live in a culture that values problem solving, so to simply listening and asking your child to tell you more about their distress can be extremely hard. The more information you have about what’s happening in their lives, the easier it will be to come up with an action plan.
- Remember: asking about suicide won’t plant the idea in your child’s head. There is a lot of evidence that shows asking about suicide can relieve the pressure that comes with keeping it as a secret. If you hear something from your child that really concerns you, try asking a question like:
“Sometimes when people feel the way you do, they think about taking their lives. I’m wondering if you’ve ever felt that way?”
- If you get a “yes”, simply say: TELL ME MORE. Your natural reaction, as we said before, will be to try to make those feelings go away, but catch yourself before you say something like: “you’ve been through harder stuff” or “you’re making this into a bigger problem than it really is”. Those responses may convince your child that you don’t want to hear what they have to say.
Step 4: Create an action plan.
There are two kinds of action plans: “urgent” and “wait and see”. Let’s review both.
- URGENT plans reflect your concern that your child may do something to harm him/herself in the near future. For example, if your child admits to thinking about suicide and having a plan, you need to act immediately to get what’s called a ‘risk assessment’ by a qualified mental health professional. If you’re not sure where to go to get that, you can reach out to the counselor at your child’s school for a recommendation or if you’re worried that there is an immediate risk to your child’s safety go to the nearest hospital emergency room that does risk screenings.
- WAIT AND SEE plans indicate you have some reason for concern but there doesn’t seem to be a need for immediate action. Your child may, for example, deny feeling suicidal or have reasonable explanations for the changes you’ve noticed. This doesn’t mean, however, that everything is okay. Keep your eyes open and perhaps pay a little more attention to your child. Run the situation by someone you trust- your physician, clergy member, school counselor- and get their input. When in doubt, getting a risk assessment may be the safest thing you can do for your child. While your child may not be suicidal, there may be other things going on that need your attention.
Step 5: Make your home safe.
If you have ANY worries about your child’s personal safety, even if they seem insignificant, take the precaution of removing lethal or potentially deadly things from your home until you are sure the crisis has passed. These include prescription or over the counter medications and firearms. This is a temporary measure that, again, reflects protection for your child when he/she may not be able to protect themselves.
Step 6: Realize you’re not alone!
Worrying that your child may be thinking about suicide is probably one of the scariest thoughts you’ll ever have and you may need support to get some perspective. Many states have local hotline numbers where trained volunteers are available to help you sort through your feelings. If you have trouble locating a local number, give the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline a call…1-800-273-8255. When you dial this number, your call will be directed to a regional center close to where you live so you might even get the names of local resources to whom you can reach out.
The anxious anticipation of the starting gun. The red, flashing shot clock that causes one’s stress to rise as the numbers count down. The deep breaths taken in the locker room to calm one’s nerves away from the public’s watchful eye.
This summer Olympics brought to the forefront the immense pressure that young athletes and high school students face, but they’re also becoming more vocal about setting boundaries to protect their mental health. From Simone Biles to Naomi Osaka to Michael Phelps, high-profile competitive athletes have been shining a light on mental health as a key component of overall wellbeing.
In some ways, the pandemic may have opened the door for these conversations, as we’ve all become more aware of how stress, mental illness, and anxiety can affect our state of mind in the past year and a half. From complex coronavirus protocols to having suffered loss, competition cancellations, feeling isolated, or being physically removed from their support system, training and competing in tournaments during a public health crisis only adds to the pressure and mental health concerns like anxiety disorder, or depression one might face.
But school athletics and mental health should be just as central to the conversation. It’s important to help high school athletes build the coping strategies they’ll need to handle the stress of competing before it increases throughout their athletic career.
The State of Competitive/High School Sports and Mental Health
We often talk about the mental health benefits of exercise and physical activity. Still, evidence suggests that as young people compete more intensely in sports, gains in mental wellness may be replaced by mental health challenges particular to competitive athletics.
- In one study of competitive Canadian swimmers, 68% of the college athletes studied met the criteria for depression.
- A study done by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association found that student-athletes report experiencing negative emotional states more often than non-student athlete adolescents.
Increasingly, high school student-athletes are specializing in just one sport like cross country or lacrosse and playing throughout the school year and even the summer as a means to gain athletic mastery of the sport. A few years ago, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found that a third of high-school, college, and professional athletes surveyed trained in a single sport.
For the athletes whose identity is wrapped up in the sport they play, their self-worth can become linked to their performance. Or, they may feel pressured to keep playing long past the time they stop enjoying their sport because of the sacrifices and investments they and their parents have made. If they do finally quit, they sometimes feel guilt or like a failure for letting others down, which can lead to self-destructive behavior and other student-athlete mental health issues.
The challenge of balancing it all – teammate relationships, workouts, academics, sleep, daily activities, and other interests – can feel overwhelming for student-athletes. Though parents and coaches are often best positioned to remedy student-athlete mental health issues, they can exacerbate the problem by adding to the pressure these athletes face.
All of these factors make high school sports and mental health such an important topic. But, the good news is that the overall problem is coming more and more into focus for many programs across the nation.
On the heels of the chief medical officer of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) discovering that mental health was student-athletes’ top concern, college sports programs began to add therapists to their athletic departments, screen players for anxiety and depression, and trained staff on how to detect warning signs.
It’s not a stretch to assume that, over the years, similar support for high school sports and mental health practices will become commonplace at that level, too.
High School Athletes and Mental Health: The Unique Stressors They Experience
6 Ways to Help Your Student Athlete Balance High School Sports and Mental Health 3Student-athlete mental health issues can arise from the stress of the balancing act they have to navigate each and every day. The tension can compound for the young athletes who are also attending school or pursuing a degree while competing.
A student-athlete has to focus their time and attention on studies, rigorous training, social life, work, close relationships, other interests or hobbies, and normal day-to-day activities. To address the stress of it all, Shane F., a former student-athlete, shares his advice:
“Don’t be afraid to seek counseling or therapy. The pressure of being a student-athlete can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to talk to peers.”
Injuries, concussions, overtraining, sleep disorders, and anxiety are just a few other factors that also impact athletes engaged in high school sports and mental health issues that can arise.
Additionally, they’re facing a lot of pressure to perform. Robbie G., a former All-American collegiate wrestler and current professional mixed martial arts fighter, says, “Stress and anxiety are normal, built-in traits that helped keep us safe from predators and rivals in prehistoric times.” Today, student-athletes often experience adrenaline rushes and fight-or-flight responses. Robbie offers a recommendation to young athletes:
“To help lower stress, believe in your training and visualize events happening, so it doesn’t feel like the first time you’re experiencing an event or competition. Create a goal and focus on that rather than the anxieties that may exist.”
All of that would be a lot to handle for an adult, but when you put that weight on someone who is still psychologically, biologically, and neurologically developing, the pressure and stressors that youth athletes face may put them at risk for the development or exacerbation of mental health disorders.
Matt Snider, a former collegiate football player, and retired NFL player, notes more resources are available today than there ever were before. He says:
“The focus on today’s athletes’ mental health is 100 times more thought out than it was when I was playing professional football, college football, and high school football decades ago. Now, it’s recognized that the athlete’s brain and mental wellbeing are oftentimes way more important than the athlete’s physical wellbeing, body, and strength.”
Snider notes that coaches, athletic directors, and general managers are acknowledging that mental health issues will affect a student-athlete’s performance. He also brought up the point that one’s performance can directly affect their opportunities or even their job in the case of professional athletes — and that can compound the pressure and stress of having mental health experiences affect performance for athletes.
Helping Student-Athletes with Mental Health
6 Ways to Help Your Student Athlete Balance High School Sports and Mental Health 4It’s important that you recognize the symptoms of depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and other mental illnesses to help your student-athlete if needed.
Studies show that the stigma is the most important perceived barrier to seeking help when it comes to student-athlete mental health. Other notable barriers were a lack of mental health literacy and negative past experiences of help-seeking.
The parents and coaches of competitive, collegiate, and high school sports athletes can help overcome these barriers and support prioritizing mental health by following these helpful tips:
- Spend time outside of training to be or get in attunement with the teen or young adult. If you’re only focused on training for high school sports and mental health and relational connection take a backseat, you’ll lose valuable insights into your teen’s day-to-day needs, feelings, and challenges. Building that connection will help in getting them to open up when they need to do so.
- Talk openly about issues and encourage them to educate themselves. If you’ve had experience with mental health issues, tell the teen about it — show them that it’s normal. In sharing your experiences, you’ll start to educate them, and can encourage them to continue doing so.
- Be conscious of language and the treatment of others. Words matter, and if the vocabulary you use is charged with words that negatively speak to mental health conditions, you’ll perpetuate the stigma. Instead of ‘crazy,’ say ‘wild.’ ‘Nuts’ can become ‘unbelievable.’ Show compassion to those experiencing mental health issues.
- Treat their mental wellbeing as equal to their physical wellbeing. Check-in on their mental state just as much as you inquire about their physical condition. Similar to how you’d want the young athlete to fully recover physically before getting back on the field, track, course, or court or back in the pool or gym, allow them the same time to recover from anxiety, stress, or trauma.
- Make it a priority for yourself and lead by example. Do your own work, so you can model a healthy approach to addressing mental health issues and emotional responses.
- Focus on the positives and empowerment that can come from mental wellness. Addressing student-athlete mental health means a teen or young adult is taking control of their life — that’s empowering and takes strength.
Sports Traumas Effect on High School Sports and Mental Health
Sports traumas can stem from things like injuries, a perception of failure, team or coaching conflicts, and negative media/public attention — among other things.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 8.6 million sports- and recreation-related injuries occur each year.
- One study found that early sports specialization leads to a greater risk of injury.
Whether a scholarship or a career is on the line, the fear of injury can also cause anxiety, and even a fear of school and impact a student-athlete’s mental health.
How Brainspotting Helps Student-Athlete Mental Health
Athletes can experience performance blocks that can be linked to traumatic experiences. A common athletic performance block is the loss of ability or struggle to perform a typically unconscious or automatic task, such as a basketball player dribbling the ball down the court.
Brainspotting, a therapeutic method that taps into the emotional and somatic areas of the brain and bypasses the areas of the brain that control thought and language, can help athletes overcome these performance issues.
In brainspotting, the athlete identifies spots in the visual field that trigger traumatic or psychologically intense memories using the feeling of somatic activation. Once they’ve located that visual trigger, the athlete maintains their gaze while observing their internal response and processing the memory.
By processing the hidden trauma in the brain, the athlete can reduce the symptoms, including physical pain, that are attached to the trauma. Other traumatic processing interventions, like Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), are also effective.
LISA ROGULA-MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR
My mission is to provide and assist families in finding mental health and community resources in our area. I work closely with our guidance counselors and administrators to raise mental health awareness within our schools, provide mental health support to the entire Makos family, and work to remove the stigma that surrounds mental health within our schools. I am excited to share information and resources to ensure our students have the support necessary to be successful.
OBMHS
23908 Canal Rd. Orange Beach, AL 36561
251-201-9975
