Laney wanted to see how much her friends actually cared about her, so she intentionally overdosed on Aleve. Her parents now are practically keeping her locked up in the house and want to send her to a psych ward.

She Intentionally Overdosed

LANEY'S (MINNEAPOLIS, MN) QUESTION:

Dawson: Sounds like Laney is suffering from depression. Let’s see…Hi Laney, what’s going on?

Laney: I’m having some pretty bad issues with my parents lately. They’ve been locking me up in the house ever since about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I got upset with some of my friends and I wanted to see how much they actually cared about me. I went across the street to Walgreens, bought Aleve and took the whole bottle.

Dawson: That wasn’t too smart a thing to do, was it?

Laney: No, not really, because I ended up going to the emergency room.

Dawson: Yes, getting your stomach pumped, isn’t exactly the greatest experience in the world. So, how can I help you?

Laney: I just want to do what there is that I can do with my parents to show them that I’m trying to change and that I’m trying to make myself better. They don’t really believe me, and my friend told me that my parents had mentioned something to her grandma that they were going to tell me that I was going to be going away. That they were going to put me in the hospital, to teach me a lesson. I don’t know what to do to make them change their mind.

DAWSON MCALLISTER'S ANSWER:

Dawson: I think you need to sit down with them and tell them you realize what you did was extremely immature. And there’s been a lot of acting out on your part, but that you want to change. And you’re very sorry for all the grief you’ve caused them. And then ask them, “How can I change? What are the things in my life that I can do differently that will help you to feel better about my progress?” Write them down and start to work on those attitudes. Even if they put you in a psych ward, you won’t be in there forever, that’s for sure. Wherever you go from now on, you have to show the world, you are trying to change, and not with these attempts at suicide to see who loves you. It’s time to come out of those things…whatever it takes. Tell her you’re willing to go to counseling, whatever it takes, but you don’t want to stay in the state you’re in.

Laney: I see a psychiatrist at school, and I’m seeing a state psychiatrist now, but my mom and dad are still thinking about sending me away.

Dawson: I’m sure they’ll have a talk with your counselors about that, but this much I do know, Laney, it’s time for you to turn around.

If you or a loved are in need of counseling, our partner, Focus on the Family, offers an initial free consultation to identify what help is needed.

If you or a friend need support right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, for free confidential, 24/7 help. For a list of crisis centers around the world and additional help, please visit the suicide prevention resource page.