What if you were to look at attention seeking the other way round: Why would you want attention?

A)Your struggle is exceeding your coping mechanisms and you are reaching out for any/all help you can get? Like a problem hurting you that is unsolvable.Do I cut, genuinely consider suicide as no one can help me release the pain?

B)Maybe a perceived fear of abandonment, using the genuine hurt experienced and communicating it to perhaps avoid the perceived abandonment?

The DSM actually distinctly separates the two:

5.)Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior

1.)Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment. Note: Do not include suicidal or self-mutilating behavior covered in (5)

The true question is, is the T referring to (1) ie abandonment, hurt, reaction where attention seeking may be very prevalent to avoid the perceived abandonment or (5) which is more like a continued relapse into a state of unbearable ... where you are genuinely considering the option (attention less important because who can actually help you if you got their attention).As you can see (1) specifically excludes (5) because they represent two distinct criteria.

My guess is the T is more in the criteria (1) wheelhouse, with terms like "attention", "abandonment","manipulation","drama". Think of it this way, if I was truly suicidal, would I want people to see me tie a noose, because they will stop me... I can however feel my world falling apart if the people in my life were to suddenly disappear-not sure how I would cope and suicide may be on the list for consideration.

Do you still fit the criteria for (5)? Do you still experience that unbearable state that led to your previous cutting and attempts?If yes do you have a healthier way to resolve it?If not then yes it is probably still recurring, but you might not have been down there in a while, maybe because you are seeing a T and it is helping. If that is the case, thank your T, but let the T know you still have the capacity and it is something you want to work on