[RunningEagleRuns]

It doesnt make sense to me. To reduce the thoughts it would have to make life better - seeing as how most people are suicidal when their life is difficult. (me too )

Im saying suicidal thoughts aren't like voices or any other symptom. They aren't really a symptom at all to me. (sort of) To treat suicidal thoughts you have to make someones life more tolerable.

Anyone agree or disagree?

[Eliza Jane]

Originally Posted by RunningEagleRuns

It doesnt make sense to me. To reduce the thoughts it would have to make life better - seeing as how most people are suicidal when their life is difficult. (me too )

Im saying suicidal thoughts aren't like voices or any other symptom. They aren't really a symptom at all to me. (sort of) To treat suicidal thoughts you have to make someones life more tolerable.

Anyone agree or disagree?

I don't know how it works, but it absolutely does. I was shocked when I started Lithium and my suicidal thoughts disappeared! When I told pdoc, she said that Lithium is specifically known to be good for this.

Don't know how it works, but so glad it does!

EJ

As far as I know, lithium is the one med that has been shown to decrease suicidal thinking. I have no idea how it works, but that is one of the reasons my pdoc keeps me on lithium.

[ruby.vroom]

I find that it's less about life being difficult and more about my brain being difficult. I can have periods where absolutely everything goes wrong and I'm unaffected by it. I also have periods where absolutely everything goes right and I would rather be dead. I would imagine that drugs might be able to help make your brain better match your situation. Of course, if your situation is truly intolerable...

I find when I am suicidal, those thoughts are incredibly intrusive and obsessive. My suicidality actually has very little to do with my life being bad; it is more about my thinking going seriously awry. It becomes a fixation that is very hard to pull out of.

[rockgal]

Originally Posted by RunningEagleRuns

It doesnt make sense to me. To reduce the thoughts it would have to make life better - seeing as how most people are suicidal when their life is difficult. (me too )

Im saying suicidal thoughts aren't like voices or any other symptom. They aren't really a symptom at all to me. (sort of) To treat suicidal thoughts you have to make someones life more tolerable.

Anyone agree or disagree?

I second what the other posters wrote. Suicidal thoughts accompany the depression, which does not necessarily relate directly to life events. When depressed, my thoughts become very dark. I was astounded how rapidly and dramatically Zyprexa obliterated terrible thoughts.

You might find "Night Falls Fast" by Kay Jamison interesting. She discusses many aspects of suicide, including the conditions that predispose one to suicide. It's heavy reading because it's a sober subject, but the book is extremely thoroughly researched and well written.

Rockgal

[-jimi-]

If a med lifts my mood, what I have to deal with seems easier. That way it doesn't feel like I would have to die because maybe I can actually deal with things. Mood is everything for me.

[Perna]

I think it is some of both but thoughts are guided mostly by perception so thinking you want to die because your best friend died; yeah, no med can bring your friend back, make you grieve less, but it can help you shift the perception that killing yourself is a good solution for you in response to your friend dying.

Feeling worthless because one doesn't have a job, when looked at "rationally" does not make sense; we do not have worth because we get up each morning and go to a crappy job and earn $10.12 an hour or because we get up each morning and go to a wonderful job and earn $100 an hour. That is all personal perspective and if a med allows me to look at my life more "rationally" then I say I'm "smart" enough to see that and work on figuring out what my real problem is (not that I feel worthless, but that I am not treating myself with respect and going after what I really want in life, the $100 an hour job :-) and how to make my life work better for me.

[krisakira]

Well one way I can describe it, is that with my meds, I feel good enough that I don't want to commit suicide to end it all. Without them, I am so terribly depressed or manic whichever one comes first , that my reasoning goes away and I am miserable and want to die to rid the pain.

[RunningEagleRuns]

Thanks for all the comments... =P

[eclogite]

I have two types of suicidal thoughts - one very rational, logical. This would be like what you said about life needing to get better to get rid of the thoughts. Medication won't help me with this except by making my life more manageable.

For whatever reason, my anxiety also manifests itself as suicidal thoughts. This is more of a fixation/intrusive thoughts, and when it gets really bad it's obsessive. Medication helps me with this (benzos) by relieving my anxiety and making the thoughts go away. I deal with this type every day.

It took a long time for me to figure this out.

[RunningEagleRuns]

thanks for the comment =]

[Travelinglady]

My understanding is that these anti-depressant drugs help to increase the length certain neurotransmitters are working in the brain--such as perhaps serotonin--which is associated with feeling good. These substances are like "happy" pills, then.

And then the person is also better able to respond to therapy.

These things, then, help reduce the desire for suicide....

[Jazz007]

Originally Posted by RunningEagleRuns

It doesnt make sense to me. To reduce the thoughts it would have to make life better - seeing as how most people are suicidal when their life is difficult. (me too )

Im saying suicidal thoughts aren't like voices or any other symptom. They aren't really a symptom at all to me. (sort of) To treat suicidal thoughts you have to make someones life more tolerable.

Anyone agree or disagree?

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Hi RunningEagleRuns, I agree to treat suicidal thoughts u have to make life more tolerable, but the right type and dosage of meds can help with the thougts. I have attempted suicide 3 times, but now I am on the right combo of meds. My life still sucks, but the meds have helped.
I may think about suicide but I have no plan to carry it out.
I hope this was helpful and hang in there. Your loved ones would be devistated if you were to carry it out.