Suicide Prevention with Dr. Lisa Firestone on The Intentional Parent

Episode 19 : TIP: The Intentional Parent

Episode Synopsis

Suicide is a taboo subject for most people, and especially between parents and kids. We invited Dr. Lisa Firestone into TIP to address the issue for parents who may not know how to broach it.
From being bullied at school, to learning self-loathing at home, there are many things that can foster suicidal thoughts. We talk about the emotional conditions and physical circumstances that surround suicide, and how to create the right conditions to combat them. It’s an important show we hope you learn from.

Guest Bio

Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. is an international expert on interpersonal relationships, parenting, suicide and violence. She is the Director of Research and Education for the Glendon Association. www.glendon.org.
Dr. Firestone is the co-author of Conquer Your Critical Voice: A Revolutionary Program to Counter Negative Thoughts and Live Free from Imagined Limitations (New Harbinger Publications). She is also a founder and contributor at PsychAlive.org and a blogger for Psychology Today and The Huffington Post.
Firestone partnered with her father, Robert W. Firestone, and developed the Firestone Assessment of Self-destructive Thoughts (FAST), a scale that assesses suicide potential and the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts (FAVT), a scale that assesses potential for violence.

Episode Breakdown

00:01 Welcome to TIP
00:46 Clip from BULLY.
01:46 Introducing Dr. Lisa Firestone.
03:50 “What are the numbers on children suicide?”
04:38 Reasons kids commit suicide.
05:20 Differing thoughts of suicide for boys and girls.
06:42 How to recognize warning signs.
10:22 “How does mental illness play into the picture?”
12:10 Genetics and social conditioning.
16:26 How to address suicide in a balanced way.
17:43 Suicide and homosexual youth
20:23 Cutting: disconnecting to physical pain, and heightened emotional pain.
23:34 Warning signs from children.
26:33 Standard complaining vs. cause for alarm.
29:18 Risk factors for suicide.
31:57 Suicide attempts that recover.
35:05 Mental Health disorders and treatment.
36:06 The national life-line and military resources.
37:48 Connecting people to resources for help.
39:40 Talking to kids about the subject appropriately and keeping the home safe.
43:33 Instilling positivity into our kids- “mastery.”
46:40 Teachable moments through the news.
47:11 One person makes a difference.
50:40 Valuable books and resources for parents and kids.

Additional Links

http://www.drlisafirestone.com/
http://www.glendon.org/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-firestone
https://twitter.com/#!/DrLisaFirestone
http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/lisa-firestone-phd

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Hosted By

Dr. Tina Bryson

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is a lecturer, a parenting consultant, and a therapist at pediatric & adolescent psychology associates. She speaks to groups all across the country and writes for numerous venues, most recently the pbs series “this emotional life.” her book, co-authored with dr. Dan Siegel, is called the whole-brain child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind. She’s a mom to three school-aged boys.

Greg Matuskiewicz

Greg is a former Microsoft executive and father of a five year old boy. He is a three time Iron man ® triathlete, master gardener and activist parent. Greg enjoys marathon running, surfing and spending time with his wife, Peggi and their son Lincoln.