Trigger Warning ⚠️

[YourPurpleGal]

Discussion on suicide prevention.

Has anyone got experience of successfully helping a loved one to overcome suicidal ideation?

I have a young adult daughter who lives in a city 80 miles away from me. She's never been great at emotional self-regulation. She's a highly sensitive person. She experiences high levels of anxiety.

She began a demanding new job 2 months ago. The stress of an intensive training programme has massively impacted her anxiety. It's affected her relationship with her partner. She now fears she might get sacked. She fears she might get dumped by her partner.

What is a mum to do or say?

I've signposted mental health resources in her area, encouraged her back into work this afternoon, given her a few tips, and tried to bolster her confidence. I feel like a huge boulder has rolled over me and is crushing my chest.

I do hope some of you can give me some positive thoughts or advice.

Could she be autistic? I think this kind of anxiety is often a sign of autism, rather than mental health in itself.

I got given a MH crisis pack once, so things like colouring stuff (or whatever she’s into), cross stitch, squeeze stress balls, squidgy stuff you play with not sure what it’s called, fidget toys eg spinners and circular things you press & pop ( they’d be on Amazon). Pack of stress less cards - they give ideas to help. or Matt Haig’s book or that fox, mole, horse book. Nice tea or coffee bags. Something nice to smell, nice moisturiser or bubble bath. A soft toy. They say something nice to taste, smell, see, hear, touch to calm and comfort you too. Her favourite film. And maybe a reassuring note from you too. It may help.

If you got bits & sent it to her, it would probably help her, but also mean a lot. If you look up papyrus hope box you’ll get the idea.

Tell her she'll always have a safe place with you so if everything goes wrong, she can come home to recuperate and make a new plan. Emphasise that there is always a way to make life happier and you will be there if she needs it. It's not shameful to need and ask for help. Having that safety net is valuable and hopefully will help with her catastrophising thoughts so they don't lead so much to thoughts of suicide.