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Hercules

Hercules

Arcanist
Jan 31, 2021
408
I have been suicidal for about 2 years. Here are some stupid things that people have said to me. I'm sure most of them meant well, but I find these sayings to be unhelpful, and they make me feel worse.

1. Life is beautiful.
Why would you even say this to a suicidal person? Obviously if someone is seriously thinking of suicide, their life is not beautiful.

2.Why do you want to commit suicide? You are such a beautiful/ nice person.
Gee, thank-you. I feel so much better. I really am a nice person, but that doesn't change anything. I especially love it when people I barely know and who no nothing about me say this.

3.Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
This is a mixed bag. There is some truth in this. it is true that some problems are temporary and could be solved with time. However, there are a lot of problems that are permanent and don't have a practical solution.

4. Hang in there. Things will get better.
You have a crystal ball and can see the future? This isn't a 30 minute sitcom. In real life, things don't always get better. Sometimes a persons situation only gets worse no matter what they do.

5. A lot of people have it worse problems than you.
Yes, a lot of people do have it worde than me. That doesn't make my situation any easier. Thank-you for completely dismissing my problems/invalidating my feelings/ and making me feel more isolated than I already do.

6. If you commit suicide, won't your family and friends miss you/ be devestated?
Why would you say this to a suicidal person? Everyone doesn't have a large/close knit support network of family and friends they can count on. Some people have very Toxic/ abusive families. Some people's families could care less if they drop dead. Reminding a suicidal person that no one cares about them will only make them feel worse/encourage them to commit suicide.

7. Suicide is the easy way out.
No. Suicide isn't the easy way out. Suicide is the hardest thing someone will ever do. Deep down people don't want to die. Facing your own mortality is hard. Deliberately taking your own life before your time is even harder.
Many people struggle with suicidal thoughts for years. They don't really want to die. They want their Pain and suffering to stop. They finally kill themselves when they become desperate enough.

8. You don't have to kill yourself. You can get help.
well it depends on what your problems are. Some people are able to get help and that's great. Other people may have been desperately seeking- even begging for help for years and are unable to get the help they need No matter how hard they try. The world is a cold and cruel place. No one wants to help anyone out anymore.

9. You are being so selfish. Think of how your family/friends will suffer if you commit suicide. They are the real victim.
No. People who commit suicide are not being selfish. They have had something traumatic happen to them and are suffering unbearable emotional or physical pain. They are at the end of their rope and can no longer cope. They have given up all hope and are desperate. They are the victim. They are the one who is dead. If their family/ friends really cared about them, they should have taken the time to talk to them or visit them. They should have tried to help them with their problems instead of being so self absorbed in their own life.

10. You're suicidal? I'll pray for you.
Most people who say this probably mean well. If they believe in a God, then why shouldn't they pray for him to help you? They probably think that they are helping you. I personally don't have a problem with this. What gets me is that they will tell you they will pray for you and then just leave. It would be great if they would talk to you about your problems and give you some practical advise or give you some practical help along with the prayer.

11. If you commit suicide you will automaticallly go to hell.
People who commit suicide are not bad people. They are people who have been given more problems than they can bear. They are suffering unbearable emotional/physical pain. They can no longer cope. They have no hope that things will get better and are desperate. whether or not God will really send them to hell is not even the point. It is beyond cruel to tell a suicidal person with a religious background that they will go to hell. First you have no way of knowing that that is the case. Second to tell that to someone who is suffering emotional pain so bad that they are actually coinsidering suicide and delibertality adding to their pain and giving them something else to worry about is just wrong. It is cruel. It doesn't help. If they are so worried about you, why don't they do something practical to help? They clearly have no idea the mental torture a suicidal person lives through every day or they wouldn't say this.

12. God will never give a person more than he can bear.
With all due respect to God, this is simply not true. No one is born suicidal. Normally people don't want to die. The SI is too strong. Everyone who commits suicide was given a lot more than they could bear in life. That is why they committed suicide. They could no longer cope.
 
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Cast_Away

Cast_Away

Member
Jun 20, 2021
21
The thing is, that i have no idea what to say, to make suicidal person feel better. All that comes to my mind just sounds stupid and i'm scared to make that person feel even worse..
When somebody is going through hell, i don't know how to help and feel useless because of that
 
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Bullit

Bullit

Mage
May 6, 2021
504
#4,"hang " in there. Not a good thing to say!
 
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FuneralCry

FuneralCry

Just wanting some peace
Sep 24, 2020
42,592
The thing is that people who have never been suicidal themselves will be unable to comprehend what it is like. The platitudes they say invalidate our suffering. Suicide is in no way selfish, as we have no obligations to stay alive as we did not ask to exist. The selfish ones are the people who expect others to stay alive and live a life filled with suffering against their wishes. There is no evidence of any hell, apart from the one we already live in.
 
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A

Anonymous_A

Arcanist
Oct 4, 2020
411
What's the best way to reply then?
Can't really be going around saying "okay whatever go kill ya self, you do you"

Personally I never speak about ctb at all irl, or hardly on here because either I do go ahead and kill myself or I don't.
 
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Dymming Star6

Dymming Star6

Member
Jul 19, 2021
43
I absolutely abhor, the old, "Everyone gets depressed from time to time even me, shake it off like it's some form of sad confetti!!! Like really, good for fucking you, dude?! I would rather you say, Hey, I cannot really relate to your unbalanced brain but I'm still here, if needed...
 
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S

suisuiforum

Experienced
Jul 4, 2021
239
This is why I don't tell people that I want to CTB. It'll just generate nothing but meaningless, canned responses like those, even if it doesn't make them uncomfortable.
 
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S

Symbiote

Global Mod
Oct 12, 2020
3,099
13. Just deal with it! Take responsibility, exercise, eat right, or smoke some weed.
 
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TheSoulless

TheSoulless

I'd like to fly but my wings have been so denied
Jan 7, 2020
1,059
Hang in there. Things will get better.
This one I hate the most. Especially when they "promise" things will get better. What they fail to realise is that just because that happened to them, doesn't mean it will happen to everyone else.
 
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Ramirez

Ramirez

Criminally insane
Jun 10, 2019
396
Worst one I heard: "if you kill yourself I will too."
 
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Rhaiyne

Rhaiyne

"To be - or not to be.... That is the question"
Jul 4, 2021
107
The thing is, that i have no idea what to say, to make suicidal person feel better. All that comes to my mind just sounds stupid and i'm scared to make that person feel even worse..
When somebody is going through hell, i don't know how to help and feel useless because of that
If I tell someone that I'm feeling suicidal, I would like them to actually just stop... and listen. Not to offer me advice as I didn't ask for advice. All the clichés that can be rattled off are not going to make a suicidal person feel better. Just stop, listen and be real. Don't shy away from it. Talking to me about it is not going to put the idea into my head.... it has been there for a while. For me, its about someone taking the time for me... and just asking what is happening for me in that moment.
 
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Alwaysbadtime

Alwaysbadtime

Enlightened
Jun 28, 2021
1,158
"You got this"
 
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Jumping_realms

Jumping_realms

★☆★ ☠️★☆★
Jul 4, 2021
483
Also, even from people that don't even know you much say "you have so many people that love, care and support you".

Oh, I do, do I?
 
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Life_and_Death

Life_and_Death

Do what's best for you 🕯️ I'm............
Jul 1, 2020
7,031
it would be nice if they could just say "ill listen" and actually try to understand what we're saying
 
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Dymming Star6

Dymming Star6

Member
Jul 19, 2021
43
13. Just deal with it! Take responsibility, exercise, eat right, or smoke some weed.
Yeah, that's the "really dude moment, again" So...you think I haven't exhausted thoughs varied attempts to just deal with it, ugh! On my last mofo nerve...thanks for your regurigitate message...awesome, pfft!!!
 
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Hercules

Hercules

Arcanist
Jan 31, 2021
408
I absolutely abhor, the old, "Everyone gets depressed from time to time even me, shake it off like it's some form of sad confetti!!! Like really, good for fucking you, dude?! I would rather you say, Hey, I cannot really relate to your unbalanced brain but I'm still here, if needed...
I know what you mean. Awhile back, I was scared and admitted that I was suicidal. I was hoping to get some help. It was strongly suggested that I go to the ER or else. A crisis worker told me, "For God sakes! You are not suicidal! Just because you wake up once in awhile and wish you were dead, does not mean that you are suicidal. Everyone wishes that they were dead once in awhile. Heck. Even I wish that I was dead sometimes. It doesn't mean that I am suicidal"
This was after I told her that I had suicidal thoughts all the time, had researched suicide methods for months, and had a plan. I know that was stupid, but I was scared at the time. Anyway they just sent me home.
The thing is, that i have no idea what to say, to make suicidal person feel better. All that comes to my mind just sounds stupid and i'm scared to make that person feel even worse..
When somebody is going through hell, i don't know how to help and feel useless because of that
If I told someone that I am suicidal, I would just like them to take the time to listen and talk to me. Sometimes just talking to someone can help. I know that talking about suicide makes people uncomfortable, because it is something no one will understand unless they have been through it themselves.
 
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D

divorceddepression

Member
Jul 1, 2021
36
Worst one I heard: "if you kill yourself I will too."
Imo this would be one of the best.
I feel I'm worthless and no one cares about me being in their life.
 
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Mr2005

Mr2005

Don't shoot the messenger, give me the gun
Sep 25, 2018
3,621
I've probably said them all on here at some point
 
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X

xaea13

Student
Jul 13, 2020
100
I have been suicidal for about 2 years. Here are some stupid things that people have said to me. I'm sure most of them meant well, but I find these sayings to be unhelpful, and they make me feel worse.

1. Life is beautiful.
Why would you even say this to a suicidal person? Obviously if someone is seriously thinking of suicide, their life is not beautiful.

2.Why do you want to commit suicide? You are such a beautiful/ nice person.
Gee, thank-you. I feel so much better. I really am a nice person, but that doesn't change anything. I especially love it when people I barely know and who no nothing about me say this.

3.Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
This is a mixed bag. There is some truth in this. it is true that some problems are temporary and could be solved with time. However, there are a lot of problems that are permanent and don't have a practical solution.

4. Hang in there. Things will get better.
You have a crystal ball and can see the future? This isn't a 30 minute sitcom. In real life, things don't always get better. Sometimes a persons situation only gets worse no matter what they do.

5. A lot of people have it worse problems than you.
Yes, a lot of people do have it worde than me. That doesn't make my situation any easier. Thank-you for completely dismissing my problems/invalidating my feelings/ and making me feel more isolated than I already do.

6. If you commit suicide, won't your family and friends miss you/ be devestated?
Why would you say this to a suicidal person? Everyone doesn't have a large/close knit support network of family and friends they can count on. Some people have very Toxic/ abusive families. Some people's families could care less if they drop dead. Reminding a suicidal person that no one cares about them will only make them feel worse/encourage them to commit suicide.

7. Suicide is the easy way out.
No. Suicide isn't the easy way out. Suicide is the hardest thing someone will ever do. Deep down people don't want to die. Facing your own mortality is hard. Deliberately taking your own life before your time is even harder.
Many people struggle with suicidal thoughts for years. They don't really want to die. They want their Pain and suffering to stop. They finally kill themselves when they become desperate enough.

8. You don't have to kill yourself. You can get help.
well it depends on what your problems are. Some people are able to get help and that's great. Other people may have been desperately seeking- even begging for help for years and are unable to get the help they need No matter how hard they try. The world is a cold and cruel place. No one wants to help anyone out anymore.

9. You are being so selfish. Think of how your family/friends will suffer if you commit suicide. They are the real victim.
No. People who commit suicide are not being selfish. They have had something traumatic happen to them and are suffering unbearable emotional or physical pain. They are at the end of their rope and can no longer cope. They have given up all hope and are desperate. They are the victim. They are the one who is dead. If their family/ friends really cared about them, they should have taken the time to talk to them or visit them. They should have tried to help them with their problems instead of being so self absorbed in their own life.

10. You're suicidal? I'll pray for you.
Most people who say this probably mean well. If they believe in a God, then why shouldn't they pray for him to help you? They probably think that they are helping you. I personally don't have a problem with this. What gets me is that they will tell you they will pray for you and then just leave. It would be great if they would talk to you about your problems and give you some practical advise or give you some practical help along with the prayer.

11. If you commit suicide you will automaticallly go to hell.
People who commit suicide are not bad people. They are people who have been given more problems than they can bear. They are suffering unbearable emotional/physical pain. They can no longer cope. They have no hope that things will get better and are desperate. whether or not God will really send them to hell is not even the point. It is beyond cruel to tell a suicidal person with a religious background that they will go to hell. First you have no way of knowing that that is the case. Second to tell that to someone who is suffering emotional pain so bad that they are actually coinsidering suicide and delibertality adding to their pain and giving them something else to worry about is just wrong. It is cruel. It doesn't help. If they are so worried about you, why don't they do something practical to help? They clearly have no idea the mental torture a suicidal person lives through every day or they wouldn't say this.

12. God will never give a person more than he can bear.
With all due respect to God, this is simply not true. No one is born suicidal. Normally people don't want to die. The SI is too strong. Everyone who commits suicide was given a lot more than they could bear in life. That is why they committed suicide. They could no longer cope.
Great post. I will say though, the message of "hang in there, things will get better" may not be true, but sometimes it can be an extremely powerful motivator in someone's life. Sometimes things really do get better - dramatically better - and you get to say "I made it. I walked through hell and back". And from personal experience, that is the most satisfying feeling in the world.

Sometimes there's no hope. It happens. But sometimes there is, and it's worth holding off just long enough to turn things around - even if it's just so you can CTB later, but on your own terms, from a much better place than you're in now.
 
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MellowAvenue

MellowAvenue

👻
Nov 5, 2020
658
If I told someone that I am suicidal, I would just like them to take the time to listen and talk to me. Sometimes just talking to someone can help. I know that talking about suicide makes people uncomfortable, because it is something no one will understand unless they have been through it themselves.

It's an unenviable position to be in regardless though since oftentimes you are seeking comfort in someone who doesn't know how to comfort you. They resort to general pleasantries or the ignorant "toughen up" stuff because that's what they know, it's what works for them.

The story you shared earlier in that post with the crisis worker, that's the shit that kind of riles me up. Supposedly trained professionals that end up showing they are clearly out of their depth even though they are the ones we supposedly need to see for help. I understand it isn't an easy job and I know they aren't all bad, but an experience with a bad one can seriously derail one's recovery. It makes them not want to seek help any longer since they were just told their feelings aren't real or don't matter.
 
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F

fly away

It’s enough
Oct 28, 2020
110
My 2 personal favorites: "But you have children!"……yes, I'm aware, and I waited for them to become adults and "But you'll miss out on having grandchildren!"
My answer to that is.
 
N

nobodyspecial

Member
Jul 10, 2021
71
Supposedly trained professionals that end up showing they are clearly out of their depth even though they are the ones we supposedly need to see for help. I understand it isn't an easy job and I know they aren't all bad, but an experience with a bad one can seriously derail one's recovery.
So true. It was this experience right here with multiple therapists at the VA over the span of a decade that finally made me quit trying to pursue help from trained professionals because all they did was repeat the same stuff and never really helped me get to the bottom of my issues and how to address them. Because of those many failed attempts, I now think I'm broken with no possibility of being "fixed."
 
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Winklemate

Winklemate

Member
Jul 26, 2021
31
This is one of the several reasons why I never have and never will open up to about my suicidal thoughts. I didn't even join here for that purpose explicitly, I joined more because of a logistical/ethical question I guess. Because like, these platitudes like it gets better or it's selfish or just blatantly stupid arguments like other people have it worse (by that logic, it's equally stupid to be happy because people also have it better), are typically the only things they're going to respond with.

And I don't blame anyone for responding with the platitudes by the way, people generally aren't going to be well-equipped to deal with this. And most people, generally don't want someone's death on their conscience, so they're going to conjure up whatever argument they've heard with the hope that it helps. And while listening is typically a far better response for the person expressing their suicidal desire, I know there's a lot of people who probably can't handle something deeper & darker like that for their own mental health, so instead they'll propagate these platitudes to attempt to help without any personal risk. They don't want to get deep in the trenches, they just want to move on without completely disregarding the other person.

I want to make it clear that I'm not trying to say it's wrong to like open up with people, it's just that I've always kind of known this is how people are going to respond and why, so with the exception of trained professionals, I never seen like the logic in it. But I also have only felt worse after opening up about anything, so even if they were strong & kind enough to listen, I wouldn't have gotten a benefit from that.
 
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FohPah

FohPah

Student
Dec 7, 2019
146
12 Reasons Why
 
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ixkitty

ixkitty

Let me be Selfish, just this once.
Aug 15, 2020
362
2.Why do you want to commit suicide? You are such a beautiful/ nice person.
You're right, I am Beautiful. I am Beautifully broken. The smile you see? Fake. The kindness you witness from me? It's not by choice. I can't do it any other way or else I'll think about that mistake for the rest of my life. I'm sweet, respectful, loving.. I don't have the ability to be mean or selfish to think about myself. So I'm always putting myself in a situation I dislike for the satisfaction of someone else. Do you really think a person wants to live a life they have no control over?
 
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Wayfaerer

Wayfaerer

JFMSUF
Aug 21, 2019
1,938
Every one of those "points" they make just make me sick to my stomach. What do they know? Apparently nothing about suicide or the suicidal. I think their neurotic fixation with life is even crazier than the people they accuse of being the crazy ones! The ignorance of these people...

You can try to threaten me with god or hell or whatever, I'm not buying it it's all just a bunch of horseshit anyway.
 
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Feeding Pigeons

Feeding Pigeons

Warlock
Aug 5, 2021
776
This one I hate the most. Especially when they "promise" things will get better. What they fail to realise is that just because that happened to them, doesn't mean it will happen to everyone else.
You know, I had a friend who said that line to me, told me things would get better. I wanted to strangle him, but years later I told him things didn't get better, and he said "Fair enough". Thats more than most would probably concede. Heh.
 
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fox_wannabe

fox_wannabe

Enlightened
Jul 7, 2021
1,112
"Hang in there" Yeah sure I will. Lmao
 
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noname223

Archangel
Aug 18, 2020
5,880
Very well written. I can relate a lot. But the sentence Things will get better is a difficult one. For some it really gets better. For some being suicidal is only temporary. I have met many people on this forum who truely recovered. I doubt I ever will but this happens to some people.
 
TheSomebody

TheSomebody

...
Sep 28, 2020
283
Telling a suicidal person that they can get help at times may be the right thing to say. Sometimes you can really help that person
 

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