I've never not been mentally ill, so I wouldn't know. But my husband, who's as well-put-together as they come, says he's had occasional brief thoughts about suicide in his life, but they never stuck around for long, and he's never had a plan nor made an attempt.

Now he's got cancer, so it makes me ashamed that I can even THINK of taking my own life while he's fighting so hard for his. (Not that I'm thinking that way now, but I did have a pretty significant depressive episode in late June.) I talked to my priest about it this afternoon though and felt much better afterward. Confession is one of the hardest things I have to do as a Catholic, but it really is good for the soul.