ViewPoint Center
Salt Lake City, UT

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ViewPoint Center Observes International
Survivors of Suicide Day

ViewPoint Center, a teen mental health hospital for adolescents ages 12-17, discusses suicide prevention and the best course of action after a suicide attempt

ViewPoint Center, a teen mental health hospital, supports International Survivors of Suicide Day, taking place on November 21. As a mental health facility that has helped hundreds of teens struggling with suicidal thoughts, ViewPoint Center provides advice for parents and loved ones of teens struggling with suicidal thoughts and behavior.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, ninety percent of people who die by suicide have a mental disorder at the time of their deaths.

"One of the best ways to prevent suicide is by understanding and treating these disorders. There are biological and psychological treatments that can help address the underlying health issues that put people at risk for suicide," says Britten Lamb LCSW, Clinical Director at ViewPoint Center. "About 20% of people who die by suicide have made a prior suicide attempt, and clinical studies have confirmed that such prior attempts increase a person's risk for subsequent suicide death."

Warning signs of suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be divided into three forms of symptoms. These include:

1. Talk: Talking about killing themselves, having no reason to live, being a burden to others and feeling trapped.
2. Mood: Displaying feelings of sadness, irritability, humiliation, and anxiety.
3. Behavior: According to ViewPoint Center, a person's suicide risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased, especially if it's related to a painful event, loss, or change. These behaviors might be: an increased use in alcohol or drugs, giving away prized possessions, changing sleeping and eating habits, visiting or calling people to say goodbye, and looking for a way to kill themselves such as searching online for materials or means.

If teens have attempted suicide in the past, ViewPoint Center believes the most beneficial course of action includes:

• Seeking professional help: This could entail taking the teen to a therapist or therapeutic program that could provide a structured recovery plan.
• Listening to what your teen has to say: People who feel so removed from themselves that they attempt suicide need someone to talk to. Be that person for your teen.
• Developing a safety plan: Lock away all weapons, pills, and ropes. If your teen feels as though they might try attempting suicide again, develop a way to communicate with them when they are feeling this way.
• Be willing to engage in the treatment process: Go to therapy with your teen. Understand how hard the process will be for them and make yourself available to help in any way you can.
• Help develop a support network: An example of this can be making sure that they know the suicide hotline number, or emergency numbers to call in case of suicidal thoughts.

"At ViewPoint Center, therapists use some of the most advanced therapeutic methods to treat teens struggling with suicidal behavior," says Jennifer Wilde LCSW, Executive Clinical Director of ViewPoint Center. "These therapeutic tools include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) which help teens overcome suicidal thoughts."

For more information about how ViewPoint Center can help your teen, please call 855-290-9682.

ViewPoint Center, a teen mental health hospital for teens ages 13-17, is located just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. With a program lasting 4-9 week