Hi st0psign

I'd say if they've never "been there" themselves it can be hard to understand, and even moreso when it's someone close to them, some might go into autopilot on "It has to stop" just wanting it all to go away finding it hard to accept that stopping just isn't that "easy", some find it scary going into depth on it, some will go on the defense, some will see it as a judgement on them/their parenting............lots of different reasons some people don't want to/can't understand...........
But...........you've tried explaining which is great, now maybe if they could hear it from outside sources as well?? Maybe it could add more "credibility" to what you've tried so hard to explain, maybe they'd find the complexities harder to dismiss if they were there "in black and white"/as actual facts??
So perhaps there are some resources you could give them??
And perhaps they may feel more of the control they may be looking for/feeling they lack if you told them exactly the sort of things they could do/not do which may help a little (even write it down for them!!), might make them feel more empowered in helping??

Of course there's still no guarantees they'll fully "get it", and if not then maybe you could eventually reach a point where you can "just" accept that, block out some of the things they may be doing/saying that aren't helping and put all your focus on people who do "get it", who can give you support..........like people on here

And ways to stop it.........well you're going to find lots of suggestions on here, but it can be as much about gradually finding or developing ways that work for you.........but it can be done

Although for now, maybe it would be much easier to focus more on reducing it or trying to skip times where you may have otherwise SI'd??
Thinking in terms of "just" stopping can seem like an impossible mountain to climb when the urges are there............

And almost forgot.........the questions you don't know how to answer.........I'd say that you don't even necessarily have to answer them, you could always shoot back something like "I'd rather not talk about it" and change the subject.........that can work on a lot of people who question..........

Alison