Health Notes, November 9th 2008, by Sarah Stacey

What to do when a young person is suicidally depressed
Seeing the blank despair on the face of a young person who feels suicidally depressed is tragic. Few of us know how to help, as a reader describes: ‘A friend’s 23 year old daughter has just tried to kill herself. She was apparently doing well, then “ran away” from her pressured job and came home in deep depression. The GP prescribed antidepressants but she wouldn’t take them because they made her feel “strange”. A week later, she crashed her car into a wall. Her mother is in denial and said she had to tell the hospital psychologist she fell asleep at the wheel. Is there anything I – and other friends - can suggest?’

According to Anne Parry of the charity Papyrus, ‘huge numbers of young people consider suicide and many thousands make a suicide attempt. Every year in Britain, up to 800 aged between 15 and 24 do take their own lives.’ Anne, formerly a teacher, lost one of her sons to suicide 14 years ago. ‘It’s often assumed that something awful must have happened to these youngsters but this isn’t always the case. Without wishing to cause undue alarm, looking out for suicidal behaviour should be on every parent’s agenda, alongside the familiar worries - drugs, alcohol and sex.’
The first strategy with a very depressed young person is to engage them in conversation. ‘Parents may be the last people they want to talk to. But it’s vital to find someone who can engage with them, perhaps another family member, friend or GP.’ Anne emphasises that it’s important to be ‘straight’ and try to get them to talk about their feelings and any thoughts about self harm and suicide. ‘People are often afraid to mention suicide thinking it might put the idea in their heads but that’s not true. You can ask if they feel bad, how bad, have they felt like harming themselves, how long for, do they have a plan, when do these thoughts come? Once the young person can acknowledge they’re not well and that the way they’re feeling isn’t right, they often accept they need help.’

In the case of our reader, engaging the parent in a similar straight-talking conversation, which reinforces the seriousness of the situation, is vital too, advises Anne. ‘Many parents are in denial due to the perceived stigma and the fear their child will forfeit opportunities if their psychiatric history is on record. Also, suicide is such a shocking event that parents sometimes genuinely cannot believe what’s happened.’

The first port of call is the GP. If the young person is prescribed antidepressants, they should be warned of possible side effects and monitored continuously. Very often, it helps if someone, not necessarily the parent, goes to the doctor with them for support. However, as Anne admits, while some GPs are ‘brilliant’ and offer a range of help, others don’t respond well. in that case, calling a helpline such as Papyrus HOPELine UK, which specialises in offering practical information, is a good option. (Of course, anyone in this situation - the young person, family or friend can call a helpline at any time.)

• Papyrus website, www.papyrus-uk.org, offers lots more helpful information
• HOPELine UK 0800 -068 4141, open Mon-Fri 10 am -5 pm and 7-10 pm; weekends 2-5pm

Wear your heart on your feet
If you can’t quite afford Louboutin’s shoes with their famous red soles try flaunting HeartStoppers red stick-ons at a rather more affordable price.  These PVC pads are designed to stop shoes slipping on icy or wet surfaces, or dancing… (or the proverbial banana in the supermarket). Simply genius.  £4.84 for two pairs, or rather £4.59 with your special 5% discount, from Victoria Health, just click here.

Natural tampons
Using organic sanitary pads and tampons, made of cotton grown without pesticides plus the barrage of harsh synthetics used in conventional protection, helps prevent itching, soreness and discomfort. Natracare offers a wide range of products, also available in Waitrose and health stores.  From Victoria Health, from £2.59 for 16, just click here. (and you can take advantage of your usual 5% discount and free postage, too.)

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: www.cuski.co.uk
Following their award-winning orthopaedic pillow, Cuski has developed
a perfect baby comforter, according to a colleague: ‘At ten months, we gave Marcus, now teething, a Cuskiboo, an ultra soft cloth made of a special organic bamboo yarn with natural antibacterial properties. The starfish shape and soft ball head are cuddleable but there’s not enough surface area for him to get tangled up in. Importantly, it’s breathable – he chews the ‘sleeping cap’ at night to relieve his sore gums.  Cuskiboo, £15.99, is so brilliant, we have four on them on rotation so there’s always a clean one.  It can be comforting for babies going into cots, particularly if mums carry it net to their skin for a day so it absorbs their scent.’ 

(NB  If ordering from the site, it seems weird because postage is quoted in dollars, but on the next page all becomes clear when you convert to British pounds…)