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I feel like I would love to talk about something like that

Myth, unless the talking somehow leads into them changing their mind about it.

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Be supportive. Ask exactly why he's feeling that way and if there's anything you can do to help.

Be a good listener for them, make sure they have someone to talk to when they're having a particular bad moment. People want to know that there's someone around who cares.

If things get worse and you're familiar with some of his friends/family and trust them enough.. maybe at least inform them they're having a hard time.

If he threatens immediate action, have an emergency number ready to dial.

David Foster Wallace the writer talked very openly about it with everyone in his inner circle (family, friends) and eventually did do it a couple years ago. That was very sad. So I guess I'm saying myth and Greatsharkbite gave good advice.

My friend who commited suicude had never brought the subject up with me. Before he killed himself he came round to visit me. Normally when he visited we would have a beer and watch tv for an hour or two. On the occasion of his last visit he said he was not stopping, and did not enter the house, he just wanted to stop by and say hello. We talked briefly outside for a few minutes before he told me he had to be going. He was schizophrenic.

Advice that I have read suggests that if someone you know is threatening suicude, to explain that you would miss them if they killed themself. I think that is a good starting point.

Well when I attempted I did not tell anyone, and most people said 'I had no idea you felt that bad.' apparently the fake optimism was convincing. But I do have one close friend now so it would be kind of hard not to tell him if I felt that way...which is another reason why I hate that I feel like I am doomed to lose every friend I make because having someone there is one thing that helps me not take harmful action when I am suicidal.


With my family it always comes down to, they don't really understand me at all and tend to say the wrong things which makes me feel worse if I do try to tell them how I feel when my depression, anxiety or PTSD symptoms are acting up.

I think there are two (basic) types of suicidal personalities.

One type needs to be needed, wanted, appreciated on some level or they feel useless - those types will talk about it, because they want someone to tell them not to do it. That doesn't mean they never will, but I think they're less likely to, they just need a friend to talk to. They want to be soothed. If they do go through with it, its to get back at the world that wasn't supportive enough to them, They're trying to punish the people they feel should have appreciated them more.

The other type isn't necessarily unhappy out of loneliness or low self esteem, they are genuinely miserable with life itself and are in serious spiritual and emotional pain. To them its not a matter of being talked out of anything, they have utterly lost hope and can only see more pain ahead if they keep on living. They see death as their only means of escape from perpetual torture. This type is not likely to confide in anyone because they don't feel that talking would make any difference - in fact, having someone try to talk them out of it only convinces them that nobody really understands the kind of pain they're in.

Well, it's probably better to be the second type, as then you at least have a chance to get help, because you're talking about it. If you never talk about it, then how will you ever get help? Plus those who talk about it are at least letting out enough cognitive angst that it might help them a little bit. But by no means is it a bad idea to ask someone if they're suicidal, if they're not that question isn't going to make them suicidal, and may really help.