Things People Said to Me About Suicide That Caused More Harm Than Good
And what I would have liked to experience instead
For most of my life, I have struggled with suicidal thoughts. Most days, I barely remember them; others, they are the only thing in my head. So, even though I’m not a therapist, I do have inside knowledge that I think can be valuable, mostly about certain phrases people have said or that I have seen floating around…and how many times they caused me more harm than good.
Of course, this does not substitute the advice of a mental health professional but, since it’s coming from a place of “this is the stuff people said to me…and it only made me feel worse,” I urge to pay attention, to stop and think about whether or not the things we usually say to people who are feeling blue, are actually beneficial.
Before we begin, three notes:
First of all, you may notice I use some humor in this post. Believe me; I’m not trying to make fun of this topic. Rather, inappropriate humor has been one of the numerous tools I have applied through the years to keep myself alive when the dark thoughts come. I apologize if this makes you uncomfortable but, at the same time, I’m not sorry since I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t still be around if I hadn’t taught myself this and other coping mechanisms.
