We are beginning to understand the impact of trauma on soldiers but not many of us know how trauma destroys children and the adults they become.
Two of my dearest friends have killed themselves and this National Suicide Prevention Month, I want to help others deal with suicidal thoughts, self-harm and depression with more than psychotropic medications.
*Kendrea Johnson was 6 when she suicided by hanging, Gabriel Myer was 7 (both were foster children).
*Only 1 out of 150 suicide attempts by very young children are successful (suicide is hard for a 6 year old to understand and execute).
*99% of those children only succeed in hurting themselves and cementing the feelings of failure and self-hate – none of these children make it into the newspaper or onto nightly news.
No one knows about the 149 children who tried to kill themselves or the hundreds/thousands of foster children that deliberately hurt themselves and others.
I’ve been on many child suicide/self-harm watches with my CASA guardian ad litem children – cutting and other kinds of violence are common.
Childhood Abuse/Trauma Destroys Children Mentally & Physically
My friend Sam was 12 when he was abused once by a priest. Sam never told anyone until he was 50, on his 3rd marriage, 4th failed business partnership and 150 pounds overweight when he sought out a therapist. Sam saw the therapist regularly until a few years before he died.
Abuse & trauma kill children, interrupts brain development and impacts a person for life.
Abused children feel dirty inside & blame themselves for the terrible things that have happened to them.
About 1/3 of America’s foster children are force fed Prozac like drugs that act like mental straight jackets making you feel stupid.
Few know what the suicidal ideation warning printed on every package means – fully formed thoughts of killing yourself in waking moments. I study mental health and I didn’t sleep for several nights when it happened to me – what do you think it’s like for a 7 year-old?
Is your child protection systems effective? Do you know how your community deals with traumatized children?
