12 year old suicidal?

I have a great relationship with my 12 year old who knows that he can come to me about anything. Today he was very twitchy and kept saying that he was cold then hot. Suddenly he starts saying "No, No , No STOP IT!!" out loud. Not his normal behavior. I ask him what is wrong and he tells me that he wants to be baptized immediately. I ask him why he needs to be baptized this second and he tells me that he thinks the devil is after him. He says he has been having these messages "flash" like text messages in his brain. When I ask him what they are about he refuses to tell me. I sat down a prayed with him and gave him a prayer book to read and highlighted a few prayers for him. I was so concerned with his fear that I baptized him at home in our tub following the scripture. He seemed relieved. Afterwards he told me that he kept seeing messages telling him to kill himself or to harm us and that he refused, that they would go away if he screamed at them. I asked him if he hears voices and he said no. He said it's a scrolling message that he can see in his head while he is wide awake, like a thought but he can see it. He says this started two days ago and he has been trying to stay calm but he just couldn't anymore. He seems to be doing okay now and is talking more about his fear, but he clutches the prayer book constantly and will stop in the middle of talking to say the lord's prayer, saying only that he got chills?.. Is this a case of fear or possibly the beginning of a mental illness of some kind? I am scared to death for him. He is not the kind of child who would put on an act for attention. He is very forthright about everything.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

These arew signs of serious emotional disorder and it is very important to seek immediate evaluation. You can bring his to your local hospital emergency room, where ateam of menatl health clinicians can evaluate him.