Is this your symptom?
- Concerns about suicide thoughts, threats, plans or attempts
- Concerns about risk for suicide
Suicide in the US
- Suicide attempts, threats or plans must always be taken very seriously. Thoughts or talk about killing or hurting oneself also need evaluation on a timely basis. So do comments about "no reason to live." Emergency rooms are often your best resource.
- Suicide risk starts at age 10, upon starting middle school.
- These rates have gone up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Suicides are a mental health crisis in the US.
Risk Factors for Suicide Completion (Death)
Suicide deaths continue to increase each year in the US. Signs of risk include:
- Specific, thought out plan for committing suicide
- Access to lethal methods, such as a loaded firearm or dangerous medications
- Prior suicide attempt
- Family history of completed suicide
- Prior diagnosis of psychiatric illness
- Heavy use of alcohol or drugs
- Serious or chronic medical disease or disability
- Childhood maltreatment, especially sexual abuse
- Impulsive, risk-taking behavior
- Feeling helpless or worthless
When to Call for Suicide Concerns
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
- Attempted suicide within last 24 hours
- Acts or talks confused
- You think you, or your friend, have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Attempted suicide within the last week
- Making threats of suicide
- Has a suicide plan (such as drugs or weapon)
- Drug or alcohol use is suspected and has symptoms now
- Psych hospital, or intensive treatment, needed in the past for similar symptoms
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Thoughts of suicide or killing self (or call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
- Thoughts of seriously harming self (or call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
- Themes of death in drawings or writings (or call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
- You think you, or your friend, need to be seen (or call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)
Self Care at Home
- Suicide and depression resources - request for information only
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
