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Disturbing and/or suicidal thoughts

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Written by Moderator 19. Mar 2008 01:29 PM

Over the last week we have had a couple of disturbing diary entries requiring intervention from our panel of psychiatrists.

We would like to remind you all that entries detailing graphic thoughts of harming yourself or harming others are not appropriate at this forum.

Please note the following comments from one of our psychiatrists:

1. Getting help
It may be helpful to view suicidal thoughts as your brain, body and emotions screaming out for help. Please get help as quickly as you can, even if you have to be assertive to do so. Do be pushy if necessary and insist. Don’t take no for an answer. Try different people or different agencies or different approaches, if the initial ones don’t hear your distress. Don’t let the blackness of depression get in the way of getting help.

Some places you will find help:
o Your local doctor
o The Emergency Department at your local hospital
o Any psychologist, psychiatrist, counsellor, therapist, community centre or doctor you are seeing or have seen before
o Lifeline: Phone: 131114 from anywhere in Australia
o A number of different services are available in each State – see this website for more of them:
http://www.suicidepreventionaust.org/GettingHelp.aspx

2. Suicide is not a solution
Most people who get depressed, no matter how terrible their circumstances and no matter how despairing they feel at times, DO find that they improve with support, help and treatment. Attempting suicide is NEVER a solution and ALWAYS makes things far, far worse, especially for those who love you, no matter what their age. Having a family member or friend commit suicide is a terrible burden for people to bear, even if they are adults when it happens. The pain of loss and abandonment is profound.

Thoughts about suicide and death need to be dealt with in private treatment with a clinician you like and trust, who knows you and your circumstances, and who is in a position to help you feel better. I strongly encourage you to find such a person, so that you can feel better and more optimistic about your future.

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Comments from the community:

Dear Moderators,

Whilst Im not a suicidal type of person the thought has entered my mind. Im a cutter,and have had depression for 30yrs, and because Im not jumping off tall buildings or after anyone to harm them, Im left pretty much on my own.
I appreciate what you guys are saying here and know how hard it is when on our OUR DEPPIES has these thoughts. We go through hell trying to talk them out of it and even though I havent got a Phd behind my name, I feel that I am and can help in some small way. Even if it is talking them out of it till they can get the help. Ill be the first to admit it takes a lot of us who are trying to help them, but for awhile our problems seem small and we are helping OUR DEPPIE. I love all the Deps on here as they are part of my family, and if any of them need my help, hey I'm in there BOOTS and ALL.Maybe someone should take this up with the federal pollies, and get OUR DEPPIES some real help. Im still waiting for my a/hr help from the Mental health from about 3weeks, good thing Im not suicudal hey?

Written by lesleyk, 19. Mar 2008 06:17 PM

COME ON GUYS AND GALS............

Ive just popped by again and seen 90 odd reads yet only one comment so far, mine. Am I the only one who has an actual comment on this subject, or are my DEPPIE friends afraid to say how they feel? I know I get a lot of satisfaction if I can help. Even when it comes to some of the fights on here, a couple of Deps go in and support the one under attack, like true soldiers.

Dont let me be the only ones who has an oponion on our fellow Deppies and their suffering. We might have our own mental health problems, but we are one hell of a beautiful bunch of people.
GO DEPPIES,I FOR ONE AM PROUD OF YOU ALL .......

Les

Written by lesleyk, 19. Mar 2008 08:17 PM

Hey Mods,

I would hope that the things you are spelling out to people with depression i.e. your findings and concerns and observations can be passed on to some of the agencies and departments and politicians who allocate funding to mental health.

This is a true user forum and yet I have not experienced the commentary that you collect and talk about in this post being forwarded in anyway to our policy makers.

I think it is all very well to suggest and or advise users to go to the various services that are available but I am sure you know from gleaning our diaries and posts that unless you live in a capital city on the east coast of Oz and have private health insurance - services do not exist in anything other than a microscopic way.

Perhaps it is time for some agitation from a site such as this that actually collects information (privately) on how users feel and interpret the various services available or not available to them.

I agree with all of your comments but often when a user is contemplating self harm or suicide they have exhausted many of the options available to them, if any options are available.

So rather than putting a band aid on the wound, that is mental health, lets see if we can stop the wound happening in the first place or at least stop the bleeding and pain.

Systemic user orientated population and access minded services for people with mental health issues are so long overdue in our country.

I live in Sydney and am privately insured...but I think I am in a minority here.

This is my experience anyway and I hope there is an opportunity for you and you medical panel to consider using some of the stories found ere to further the case for appropriate funding for evidence based outcome services nationwide.

Regards

Keller

Written by keller, 19. Mar 2008 09:06 PM

Dear Moderators

Thank you for your suggestions... i agree with Keller about the lack of services in regional and rural australia and the overburden on services in urban areas of capital cities... I see a private psychiatrist but get support from community mental health agencies...
but the comment I want to make is ... that writing the thoughts in my head about not wanting to live means that I have told someone who may listen to me ... an email from someone telling me i was heard... means i was able to let the thought go for a while... and that someone else knows my thoughts... they are not in my head alone swirling around... the diaries are a good resource... maybe it is better to make the entries private... but as you say ... the writing is a way of getting help...

not sure what you think it will do to cut the diaries off as a resource or voice...

rgds
cate

Written by cateblack, 20. Mar 2008 12:59 AM

Hi mods, amybe it too late, as in this entry isnt that new.. but the things i could say..
Yes i have thought of ending it all, many many times, but to be truthful, i havent got the balls..

You say to seek help, and yes i have done this many times, with various phychs, and most of them just sit, and ask stupid questions, and write shit on a pad..

For the past few years i have confided in me Gp, as that seemed to help me more, but now i feel like a hypochondriac.. MAybe i am just venting here, i dont really know, but i am so sick of being cooped up in this house feeling like a waste of space, a socail outcast, i really dont know how to explain it..

I would also say, damn it there are not many ppl in this world that would miss me, and all iu can think of is my daughter, and she has a lot of my traits, and i hate that..

Ppl i know say why dont you get out, why dont you do this, and why dont you do that, they just dont understand, and when there is somet5hing in this world i wish for, it seems out of reach..

Yes i know in my head it is up to me, but damn, it is so friggin hard at times.. oh shit.. sorry, me just .. dunno.. venting, but why does lfe seem to be so bloody hard.. when will life be what it is supposed to be, or like other you see, happy.. WHere does happiness lie in the scheme of things..
Sorry to me, at the moment, life is F@#$ed..

Written by les, 21. Mar 2008 03:43 PM

Mods

Been on honeymoon and am catching up on diaries.

I am a harmer and have suicidal thoughts. Got into trouble because I was upsetting depnet members because of putting harming in my diary entries. Suicide is a different matter - if it is in a diary, it is a call out for help and with the chat room closed at the moment, this is the only way people can tell their stories of how they are feeling and if you don't like what is written you delete it. Seems we can't win in any mention of suicide or feeling suicidal. We need to be able to help those with the feelings of unsafeness and the sooner the chat room is reopened the better. People be aware of how you write your diaries and hopefully people can help you while the chat room is closed.

Mrs Studying1

Written by studying1, 1. Apr 2008 12:50 AM

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