Bringing up a child for me was (and even though she is grown up still is) a major protective factor. Having experienced what it's like as a child of a parent threatening suicide regularly (and using it as a form of child control) I would never in a million years inflict that on my own children and consider it bordering on abuse. In practice what it means is I had to develop really good cognitive coping strategies in order to get through each day, there were days and weeks, sometimes longer, where it was extremely hard to face the world and have often had suicidal thoughts, but somehow I found enough to just keep going and in work, which (being in a caring profession) also gave me an external focus and people who needed me to keep it together. Even though this did lead me to neglecting my physical health and wellbeing in other ways for many years I am trying to sort that out too.

Part of what helps - based on my childhood I think - is I am extremely good at compartmentalising (or some might call it disassociating). I can put my own feelings and needs 'on hold' to be there for others or just to get the job done. I do know it's not always the most healthy approach as it means I don't tend to look after myself (and now am paying for that) but it got me through, which was the question.