Understanding Suicide: The Loss of a Mother
What happens when personal trauma intersects with professional purpose in the world of child psychiatry?
Discover the compelling story of Dr. Nancy Rappaport, who turned the tragedy of losing her mother to suicide into a life-long commitment to prevent similar losses in others. This podcast episode explores the intricate links between personal history and professional practice with a focus on child and family psychiatry.
It illuminates the often-overlooked nuances of family dynamics, the importance of understanding children’s challenging behaviors, and the sensitive discourse surrounding suicide prevention. The conversation unearths how small moments of humanity in therapy can bridge profound professional gaps and reinforce the resilience required in dealing with complex familial issues.
Listeners will leave with a renewed understanding of why appropriate conversation about suicide is a poignant necessity in both clinical practice and families. Listen now to uncover insights that might just redefine the approach to mental health support.
[03:43 -12:26] Child Psychiatry & Personal History
- September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, underscoring the episode’s thematic urgency.
- Discussion on how her experiences informed her choice to focus on child psychiatry.
- Importance of not using stigmatizing language like “committed suicide.”
- Emphasis on reducing stigma and opening dialogues about suicide.
[12:27 – 22:00] Trauma, Suicide, and Professional Development in Child Psychiatry
- Personal experiences with trauma and loss can influence a therapist’s approach to working with children and families
- The saying “when someone dies by suicide, they take their skeleton and put it in your closet” highlights the complex impact on survivors
- Shifting from individual therapy to family therapy can provide new insights into family dynamics and behaviors
- Balancing personal emotional experiences with professional rigor is crucial in the field of child psychiatry
[22:01 -32:46] Childhood Behavior and Parenting Challenges
- Strategies for pediatric clinicians dealing with suicidal patients.
- The role of programs like the National Alliance on Mental Illness in aiding families with psychiatric issues.
- The importance of local resources, like those in Boston, for mental health support.
- Encouragement for clinicians to remind patients of their value, especially post-suicide attempts.
[32:47 – 41:46] Childhood Behavior and Parenting Challenges
- The behavior code was written drawing on that was published in 2012. It’s been on the bestseller of Harvard Ed Press for about 8 years.
- It was written about angry kids, oppositional kids, kids with sexualized behavior, and kids with withdrawn behavior.
- As parents, you’re doing this dance, and then it’s not perfect. Sometimes you step on each other’s toes, but there is this room for repair.
- You have to have a lot of humility when working with parents because Yes. We all are doing the best we can.
[41:47 – 48:19] Closing segment Takeaway
You can reach Dr. Nancy Rappaport
Email: nancy@nancyrappaport
LinkedeIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-rappaport-md
Links to resources mentioned on the show
Her website: https://www.nancyrappaport.com/
Dr. Nancy’s Books:
In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explores the Mystery of Her Mother’s Suicide
The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students. https://www.amazon.com/Behavior-Code-Practical-Understanding-Challenging/dp/1612501362
Other Books mentioned
To Scared to Cry by Lenore Terr: https://www.amazon.com/Too-Scared-Cry-Psychic-Childhood/dp/0465086446
Ghosts in the Nursery by Selma Fraiberg pdf: https://frcnca.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Ghosts-in-the-nursery-paper-copy.pdf
Why People Die by Suicide by Thomas Joiner: https://www.amazon.com/Why-People-Suicide-Thomas-Joiner/dp/0674025490
Agencies:
NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org
AFSP – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org
Other episodes you may like:
- Understanding Challenging Kids: The Behavior Code
- Suicide Prevention That Works: The Zero Suicide Framework
- Youth Suicide Prevention: Building Community Coalitions
- Suicide Prevention – Hope and Resilience: My Sister’s Story
Key quotes for Twitter:
“If you don’t tell the child, then you run the risk of them overhearing it and you not being in control of the narrative.”… Dr. Nancy Rappaport on what to tell the children
“Suicide is the tip of the iceberg. Often there’s a lot more information.”…. Dr. Nancy Rappaport on Suicide Prevention Awareness
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