POSSIBLE TRIGGER AHEAD







There is a line, and a difference between discussion of suicidal thoughts/impulses and suicide in general, as opposed to posting about actively seeking to end your life. Discussion of suicide in general can aid our understanding of it, and sharing our experiences can help us by making us recognise the danger and seek help at the right time.

As someone who has lost others to suicide (my Dad and brother), it’s absolutely vital sometimes that I can talk about it. Suicide is still a taboo, and it’s not a subject most people are comfortable with, which I understand, but I can’t afford to be afraid. I have grief to work through and I don’t have the luxury of pretending it away. For instance, if I had lost them to a car accident, I couldn’t mourn them and never again mention car crashes. It exists; all the myriad threads of it are woven into the tapestry of my life and the picture can’t ever be the same.

One of those threads is self-recrimination, which doesn’t even begin to describe the magnitude of emotion involved. So many “if only’s,” and they all go on to be “if only I had…” because sometimes the human inside us doesn’t hold the lost to account, only ourselves.

I am finding that this place is a wonderful support network, but it’s not a rescue service. We each have a responsibility to be kind and considerate to each other, and to be as gentle as possible since we all have our own troubles to deal with.

Be fair to everyone, including yourself. Don’t put others in the way of the “if only’s.” Never put your life into the hands of someone who isn’t trained to handle it (unless of course there’s a global zombie apocalypse a la The Walking Dead).

Basically, if you’re making plans, then you shouldn’t be writing about it. You're asking the wrong people to save you. You should seek professional help, at your nearest hospital if necessary. Stay safe, get out of danger, then we can talk about it when you get back.