Question:

My 15 year old son is severely depressed and talks about suicide. He is getting into a lot of trouble at school. I am a single parent. He has been raised in a loving Christian home all his life. It seems that currently he has distanced himself from his sister and myself. All that he wants to do is lay in his bed and stare at the ceiling. I am afraid for his well-being. The more I talk to him the more defiance and rebellion he shows. Please help me make the Godly decision in helping my son. I am of low income and don't know what resources are available to me.

Answer:

Your son is showing some signs of depression. The part that I am most worried about is the talk about suicide, coupled with the distancing himself from your family. The signs he is showing are very concerning.

First, I would ask him if he has thought seriously about suicide. You may want to ask him, "I've heard you mention suicide before, have you ever seriously thought about that? Do you have a time, place, or method?" His answer to that question is vitally important. Students don't just talk about suicide. It is a cry for help that should never be ignored. If he does have a time, place, and method - he needs to get some help and pretty quickly. If he has a time, place, or method it means that he has not only thought about suicide seriously, but has chosen to move into the planning stages. If at all possible, try and take away the method from him (unless it means wrestling a gun away from him, which could result in serious harm). If you can alleviate the method, you have bought yourself time, as he will have to go back to the planning stage again if he is still serious about taking his own life.

You will most likely need to get him in contact with professional health one way of another. He is showing signs of severe despression and needs to work through those with the help of a counselor, someone who will listen and offer timely, educated wisdom. Not knowing where you are located, the best avenue would be to check in with your church, a local hospital, or a local counseling center for contacts. You can also check in with other churches that are in your area for resources that you might be able to tap into.