[yellow_fleurs]

Just wondering how this has gone for others? Fortunately not having the problem at the moment. My psychiatrist knew about them and assessed them but never sent me inpatient. I just started seeing my therapist so I don't know how she will react if they return. Maybe I can just ask ahead of time how she responds to different degrees of risk?

[nottrustin]

It always go well because I always downplay it and say I will ne okay and wont do it. I dont tell them how significant or frequent they are.

[velcro003]

my T has been very accepting of them, and once she knows that i don't plan on acting on them at the moment, will not talk about needing a higher level of care/call 911. i can talk about them all i want, and she will listen.

[LonesomeTonight]

I've mainly just told mine about them after the fact, when they've already gone away. But he's said, when I asked him, that if I shared them, as long as I didn't have a plan, he wouldn't be overly concerned. I mean, he'd listen to them and support me, but not try to hospitalize me or anything.

Most T's have a plan & rules. All mine have always laid them out in advance. One gave certain *actions* that she felt would require her to hospitalize. Current one will not call the police, literally or figuratively. He will however call the hospital, prepare the way, let them know what's going on, & accompany me should I decided safety requires it. We've even decided on a hospital where he can continue seeing me. We also set up conditions under which I agree to call him. Never needed to put plan into action. But I feel more comfortable knowing exactly what to expect from my T. What he expects from me. Like also knowing the decision will remain mine. Think it may also make it easier to talk with him about related issues.

Like everyone says it's best to play it down, maybe ask them about it just to see how they react. I had constant thoughts for about a year and got hospitalized. Led to me being more attached to her and even trusting her more in other ways after it all. I was very open about them, but didn't know where to draw the line... The hospital was kinda traumatic and fears of returning seemed to have replaced the suicidal thoughts. But after the hospital and everything I actually was able to trust her more and think the therapeutic alliance is stronger. Though I'm not sure I could trust her or any therapist with my thoughts of suicide and wanting to die. Initially, I stayed with her because she already knew about them and if I saw someone new I'd probably never bring it up nor the hospital and wouldn't get much help.

[yellow_fleurs]

Originally Posted by cavaliers

Most T's have a plan & rules. All mine have always laid them out in advance. One gave certain *actions* that she felt would require her to hospitalize. Current one will not call the police, literally or figuratively. He will however call the hospital, prepare the way, let them know what's going on, & accompany me should I decided safety requires it. We've even decided on a hospital where he can continue seeing me. We also set up conditions under which I agree to call him. Never needed to put plan into action. But I feel more comfortable knowing exactly what to expect from my T. What he expects from me. Like also knowing the decision will remain mine. Think it may also make it easier to talk with him about related issues.

That's great they laid them out in advance. I think I will ask my T for her rules. I would feel more comfortable knowing, too. Thanks!

[yellow_fleurs]

Originally Posted by roseboi

Like everyone says it's best to play it down, maybe ask them about it just to see how they react. I had constant thoughts for about a year and got hospitalized. Led to me being more attached to her and even trusting her more in other ways after it all. I was very open about them, but didn't know where to draw the line... The hospital was kinda traumatic and fears of returning seemed to have replaced the suicidal thoughts. But after the hospital and everything I actually was able to trust her more and think the therapeutic alliance is stronger. Though I'm not sure I could trust her or any therapist with my thoughts of suicide and wanting to die. Initially, I stayed with her because she already knew about them and if I saw someone new I'd probably never bring it up nor the hospital and wouldn't get much help.

I never played them down with my psychiatrist, but was actually surprised he didn't hospitalize me at one point. I almost hospitalized myself. But I do see how others might have acted differently and that's why I am thinking I need to know my T's rules. I want to be honest, but not make it sound more urgent than it is if that makes sense. Sorry to hear the hospital was traumatic, that is a fear of mine, but glad you trust your therapist.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I can talk about my suicidal thoughts as much as I want to with my T. She does make sure I'm safe first, but once I tell her I'm safe, she'll listen to the thoughts. It was actually weird: she was the first person to ask me what my thoughts actually were. Normally, in the past, I'd say I'm having suicidal thoughts and that was it. But T wanted to know what the thoughts were. I've also told her about some homicidal thoughts I've had.

[CharlieStarDust]

I bring them up in my writing and in the context of it being one more option to add to the list of solutions. Over the years, she's asked me flat out a couple of times if I had any plans and if I planned on acting on them. I usually reassure her that I'd never act on them (which is true), and that it only speaks to my frame of mind. I think she trusts me when I say they're just thoughts. I also asked her what her policy is for SUI clients (because I was worried she'd terminate). She said she mobilizes supports if I was in immediate danger; one option she suggested was going with me to a family dr. or the hospital, if I was seriously considering it. It seems like she would go through several other channels before hospitalization, and she would be by my side, as opposed to just listing options and letting me flounder alone.

[ChickenNoodleSoup]

I'm pretty straight forward with them and mention it or even ask for extra sessions when I'm having such thoughts. Most of the time my T just asks what the content is, how bad the thoughts are and so on. Then we try to figure out what the actual issue is, since the thoughts won't go away without that being resolved. Two or three times he mentioned that maybe going inpatient would be good, but I'd have to agree to that in order for it to happen in my country, so it never happened, although at least one time it would probably have been a good idea.
Asking ahead sounds of time sounds like a good idea if you're worried. It also tells your T that this might come up, so she's already a bit prepared.

[LabRat27]

Hasn't really been an issue for me with current T because I haven't been suicidal in years (thanks to certain medication), and I didn't really care about lying to past therapists. It has come up with SH though.
I usually ask how the T defines "danger to self or others" when it comes to these things. If there's some vague answer I tell them that after I leave I'm going to go smoke a cigarette, which is a danger to my health, but obviously they're not going to call the cops, so where do they personally draw the line?
If they're still not being clear, I might throw out a few hypotheticals, multiple different ones to make it clear that they really are hypothetical, and go from there. But usually by that point I'll just decide it's not worth it to tell them anything risky.

[SlumberKitty]

My Former T was great about it. I could tell her how bad they were and what I was thinking and only once did she say I should go to the hospital, which I did because I was thinking that myself anyway. New T seems a little worried about the thoughts but she hasn't brought up hospitalization or anything. Kit.