I agree with you. But I never couched my suicidal ideation as a threat. I have one brother who has his doctorate in psychology so I think he understands that suicidal ideation can mean thoughts and nothing more. I never talked about a plan to attempt or anything near that. The other brother, just forget it. He's a sociopath. That was just a MAJOR mistake on my part disclosing to him and I do take responsibility for it. I spoke with a third brother tonight (I have four) for a very long time and he understood me perfectly well. He did not jump to conclusions. He LISTENED and therefore he UNDERSTOOD. I mean about my other brother. This brother already has known I have been suffering from suicidal ideation. Since he is a combat veteran who has managed PTSD his whole life he has some understanding of how extra stress can throw someone already battling things into a major crisis.

Obviously you are saying that the person has to take responsibility for who they tell.

But of course.

However, I have been going in and out of severe crisis mode and am I thinking all that clearly?

But now I will take responsibility. Since I don't have a diagnosis I don't see why I should self-label myself as mentally ill. I am not on medication.

Maybe I am just weak. That is, mentally weak.

Certainly I am not going to go around disclosing that. Or that I doubt I am going to be able to survive alone. I really have just been trying to get support. Now I am at the end of the road. I either sink or swim. So telling others...it really doesn't matter. It's all up to me. I have to do it.