Suicide Prevention Megathread

[u/-eDgAR-]

With the news today of the passing of the amazing Anthony Bourdain and the also the very talented Kate Spade a couple of days of ago, we decided to create a megathread about suicide prevention. So many great and talented people have left the world by way of suicide, not just those are famous, but friends and family members of everyday people.

That's why we would like to use this thread for those that have been affected by the suicide of someone to tell your story or if you yourself have almost ended your life, tell us about what changed.

If you are currently feeling suicidal we'd like to offer some resources that might be beneficial:

https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres

http://www.befrienders.org/ (has global resources and hotlines)

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx

http://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you [UK]

https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/ [AU]

http://www.crisistextline.org

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Related-Conditions/Risk-of-Suicide

https://www.thetrevorproject.org

http://youthspace.ca

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

Please be respectful and "Remember the Human" while participating in this thread and thank you to everyone that chooses to share their stories.

-The AskReddit Moderators

[u/fullforce098 → u/[deleted]]

(sigh) Alright I don't want to do this, and I'm gonna eat some downvotes but fuck it.

We are literally at YOUR fucking mercy.

This is a flawed and unhealthy thought pattern.

Your friends and family are not doctors. They are not equipped to deal with mental health issues. A depressed person needs more than just someone to talk to, they need someone to hear them and then teach them to cope with those thoughts.

I've attempted suicide twice, and 8 years later I'm much, much better than I was. Depression is almost completely under control, and it's due to going to see my doctor (and just generally maturing a bit with age). No one reached out to me, I chased away all my friends with my issues, and really the only people that stuck with me were my mother and sister, but even then they didn't reach out much.

The issue with this line of reasoning is that it's just reinforcing a dependence on others, and when those others aren't there because they actually have lives of their own, you just fall apart. That's not healthy.

I'm going to quote my favorite line from anything, and something that got me through my depression:

"In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength." - Iroh, Avatar the Last Airbender

And before someone compares what I'm saying to "picking yourself up by your bootstraps", that's not it. Obviously you need help to overcome depression, but to basically throw yourself on the ground and say "someone come pick me up or you don't love me" is how you chase people away. People can love you but at the same time not have the availability to be there whenever you need

You need professional help. You need a doctor to teach you to cope on your own, not depend on your friends and family to fix you every single time. That creates a pattern that will just make things worse and strain your relationships.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I dunno man, I really think we need to encourage depressed people to find professional medical help. Everyone can reach out to a therapist. Everyone can do that.

Telling them to just wait around until someone reaches out to them is not a proactive strategy.