For Those of You That Have Made An Attempt...

Yes I've made an attempt when I was a teenager, but I WOULDN'T call it a serious attempt...(even though it was a definite cry for help) and of course you survived but how did your family and friends treat you? Did they treat you like a nutcase? I would hate that.

When I make my attempt, I promise to be successful. I don't think I could live with all the judgements. I know a guy at my job that actually made an attempt...wow...all the horrible things people said behind his back made me really upset. I know exactly what its like when you don't want to be here anymore.

There are so many people that don't understand people like us....:sad:

 

It's difficult to understand. I knew someone who survived an attempt despite dousing herself in petrol and setting fire to herself (I know you shouldn't post methods but believe me this isn't a good one)

People don't know how to react, people don't understand, they become frustrated, they feel useless, they feel like they aren't helping and they can't help, they feel like they should be doing more, they feel angry and they say things they shouldn't.

In this case they said really horrible things like 'If you're going to kill yourself at least do a good job of it", and they even gave them items to assist in their suicide and said "go ahead do it". And I hated them for it, but when she died, you could tell how much they genuinely loved her and missed her.

I guess it's hard to understand anyone really.

 

How could they say those horrible things like "go ahead and do it" and then miss her now that's she's dead? That's absolutely awful. I wouldn't pick that way to go either.

 

That is sad

 

I'm not suicidal, but I'm trying my best to understand how people can become suicidal and helping them out. That was one of my reasons for joining this site. I've met so many nice people here, but its difficult knowing that their lives could end if things get too difficult for them to deal with. There needs to be more open dialog about suicide in general. I think the news should also report suicides so people would know and get help before things get really bad.

 

The news does report suicides. My daughter did it and they sat off our house for a week trying to take my photo and get a story out of me. It was horrible. Everyone on internet site and forum messages boards had their own opinions and most of it was to blame the parents. People made joke, their was graffiti at the local train station, we cannot even bury her at the cemetary as we know it would get desecrated. There were people trying to copy her idea as well. We even had the media at the funeral and the funeral was shown on TV, you don't really need this.

I think what needs to happen is for people to be allowed to be open and talk more about it. When my husband rings my welfare section at work for help they just give him the number of the CAT team to ring. Not much good that does him as they are the people that admit you to hospital.

 

I'm so sorry to hear that your daughter committed suicide. And I'm also sorry that people were blaming you and your husband for her death. I'm sure she had her own reasons for doing it, though there really aren't any good reasons for killing yourself. Most suicides are 'swept under the rug' to avoid copy cat suicide attempts, but this causes people to believe that depression and suicide aren't that important issues. More open dialogue is needed to increase awareness.

 

I come from a "hush hush" type of family. About 17 years ago, I recall my mother and father coming into my room with my sisters and telling all of us to not talk about it b/c they didn't want the community to know. My parents are known in their community and it became the concern about their reputations. The last thing my mother said, "How will you ever get married if you are crazy?"

People amaze me sometimes....get tired of it all.

 

when i first attempted i was 15 and my parents found out. My mum never really said anything about it and hasnt since. My step-dad mentions it occationally to let me know he is proud of me for coping i didnt tell them about my more recent serious attempt.

 

I have made many attempts must try harder. I am very wary about the people I tell now. I used to have a friend who I thought woud be a friend for life how wrong was I. I was meant to meet her one day but I ended up in hospital after an attempt and when I told her she had no understanding couldn't get her head round the fact I'd tried to kill myself. I guess that she couldn't deal with it or didn't want to not sure which. We very quickly stopped been friends after that when we had been good friends. Mental illness still has such a stigma and its taboo to talk about suicide. I think people are becoming a bit more open about it but ts got a long way to go. Sorry if I've gone a bit of topic here

 

Dave,

As someone with an outside perspective can I ask what you feel you have learned about suicide & if you had any preconceived notions that where broken after being a part of this community?

 

Suicide, like self-harm, is such a taboo subject though and there really isn't enough material on it to help people understand it.
I have made many attempts to date, i think about nine so far. And i tend not to tell people, and if i do it's only my close friends, friends i know would want to know so they can make sure i am okay now.