What have you told your closest friends& family about your suicidal thoughts?

[SmokingCivet]

Wondering what other POVs are and what you've told your closest family & friends.

I've always been depressed and my family knows I had a bit of mental health issues (just not the extent of actually attempting, inpatient care, etc) but recently I lost my business that both made me whole and broke me, so I'm thinking about finally telling my family about the true reason I'm moving to South America, and that's simply: "moving is my last resort to help my depression, if I'm still depressed over there I can CTB with minimal guilt as I've tried everything else in the book".

I feel like that is a good enough lead that they aren't necessarily surprised if they find out I commit after a year or two, but I also don't want to cause undue stress to them while I'm in another country.

WWYD? What have you told your closest friends and family?

 

[DivineSpark]

I have kept my suicidal thoughts myself. I pretend I am fine, so they dont get worried. I dont want to make my loved ones worried. Although I am considering telling my doctor when I meet her next time.

 

[RibbonAmia]

I asked my grandmother one time when I was visiting her country, but only like this
"What do you think of those people that take their own lives?"
She said and I quote " Ridiculo. Pueden creer en Dios" (Ridiculous. They can believe in God.)
I've never told my parents while I lived with them. Now that I live away from them I haven't said anything either. They wanted me to open up more to them after an attempt when I was 15, but I decided not to.
When I was younger I used to tell some thoughts to friends. Some would do the "please don't do it" others would do the "Can you stay alive for me?". I found the stay alive for me stuff slightly sweet because those people are young and don't have much to say and at that age want you to stay alive, but it's also incredibly, like it makes you feel trapped? I'm not sure how to describe it.

 

[shineboy2k15taliban]

i keep it all to myself cuz honestly i hate attention, i hate making people worried/concerned they all have their own issues to deal with anyway and i'm not tryna disrupt that

 

[Linda]

I have told them pretty much everything, at least in outline. They know that I will ctb if my husband dies before me, and not otherwise. They know that I will do it by heading off into the wilderness in cold weather. They don't know which bit of wilderness, and I don't intend to tell them. (My husband does know that.)
Given my age and my circumstances, it's not really an issue for them.

 

[SomewhereAlongThe]

I mostly keep it to myself, but I have told my only friend I feel suicidal and in turn he says "You're being stupid." so.. yea no

 

[Dante_]

I mostly keep it to myself, but I have told my only friend I feel suicidal and in turn he says "You're being stupid." so.. yea no

For your only friend to say that is just so heartless, im so sorry, this is why I just can't open up to anyone irl about it because then it would just result in backhanded responses like this or they'd tell me I can't be suicidal because of reasons, it's almost like you need a legitimate reason to justify being suicidal and even then, it's still stupid or horrible of a thing to think about.

 

[Knoc]

Can i ask you what inspired you to want to move to sa?

We don't have a very good reputation around the world to be honest

 

[Griever]

I don't talk to my family about my problems and I don't have any friends to talk to about my problems

 

[Pale_Rider]

Keep it to myself. Nobody wants to hear that.

 

[divinemistress36]

Ive told my parents but they ignore and dismiss it. I tell my friend who suffers with Bipolar and sometimes he gets it but he still thinks life should be lived even with all the suffering . Only people on here understand

 

[LostLily]

I mostly keep it to myself, but I have told my only friend I feel suicidal and in turn he says "You're being stupid." so.. yea no

A friend of mine told me that when I told her about a previous attempt.

After getting hospitalized after a wellness check. I manage to get contact two friends and both have been great and supportive. One visited me and the other called me multiple times. He has food poisoning so he can't come yet.

 

[MissWannaLive]

I actually broke down two times and spilled everything. Unfortunately I wasn't truly understood and my suicidal thoughts and mentions of SH were brushed off. I got told that "well we 'different people' just have it like that and people won't understand us so you have to learn to live with it" so I lost any hope or reason to share more about my mental state.
My friends also seem to not get me and the most I got was from them a long silence and "I understand" or sometimes getting ignored.
I think if I will get to the point of CBT at least no one would be able to say I didn't try to open up and talk about it.

 

[anonymousperson]

I don't tell anyone. They know I am depressed but not suicidal. I don't want to hurt them. I know my mom would blame herself and I couldn't bear that. Also I don't want to be checked into a psych ward.

 

[Irrelevant biologist]

No one wants that burden placed on them. I've tried and have had them offer me the 800 number for talking. No thanks. I don't bother anyone.

 

[stoiccactus]

Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever talked to anyone who has responded in a way that made me feel better. Usually you either 1) scare them so they walk on eggshells / patronize you going forward or 2) they just shut down and tell you to call some hotline or talk to a therapist or something. I can't really blame people for responding this way.

I've yet to meet another human that understands outside of maybe this forum.

 

[Lazy]

I never will tell my Parents, however we often joke about it with my friends. Honestly I'm pretty sure at least two of them actually are suicidal themselves, we never had an actual discusion about it tho so... yeah.
For some reason it feels like suicide has become some kind of joke in my generation/age-group so I can freely express my desire to ctb and noone will really care.

 

[Forever Sleep]

When I was younger, I discussed it with people who I strongly sensed felt the same way. I also told multiple friends about when I started having ideation- age 10. My family don't know but honestly, they'd have to be incredibly naive to not suspect. I just think they don't want to think about it.

In terms of the likelihood of it happening, I've only really suggested it to the one friend I am in fairly regular contact with. Partly because I didn't want it to come as a complete shock and partly because it then gives them the option on whether they want to remain in touch. They've had ideation themselves so, it's hardly a shock to them or something to try to talk me out of.