Ex and suicide threats…

Why is everyone assuming it’s a bloke? OP hasn’t specified - deliberately using the ambiguous ‘them’.

OP, just ignore. It’s a manipulation tactic they’re using. You’re not responsible for their mental health.

Don't worry about you ex. issues with the police - if those were not for harassment / stalking he won't get treated and different from any other first time harassment report.

They will likely give him a firm talking to and tell him in no uncertain terms to desist - then it's up to him, if he carries on he'll end up being charged and that's entirely his own doing.

Call the police.

think about it - if they are genuinely suicidal- are you a trained professional who can help them? Can you access mental health support for them? Nope, so you need to pass it to someone who can. Call the police for a welfare check. Every time, you don’t respond to them, you send the police round.

(you say “they”- posters are assuming a man as this is a common thing men do when dumped to try to control, but is your ex a woman? Either way they need professional help and they aren’t going to access that via you.)

Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. If it's anyone you need to speak to, they'll leave a message.

OP you are protecting him and inadvertently prolonging his bad treatment of you. Just report him to the police for harassment and then for a welfare check next time he threatens to kill himself. You’ve got to be proactive

Depending on your email provider you will find in settings that there is a way of blocking emails. I'm with BT so can type out instructions for that if you are too.

The using burner phones is creepy, and impossible to stop those calls of course - I would be reporting to the police.

As others have said, this is effectively (well it is) stalking and harassment. I would block electronic communication. If they turn up tell them firmly and clearly you don't want to see them and will report for harassment if it continues (this is important as harassment is defined as more than one unwanted communication, so you need to have been crystal clear that it needs to stop, makes the polices job much easier if it comes to it).

Don't worry about the "suicide" thing, it's a tactic to try and hook you, sadly most people who commit suicide tell no one.

You need to get this person out of your life for good!

Threatening suicide is a very common tactic used by perpetrators of domestic abuse to try and regain control (and contact) with a victim. If he’s made a number of these threats before and remains alive it’s a pretty good indicator that he doesn’t intend to follow through. What he is doing is harassing you and prolonging the abuse and it’s not your job to protect him from the consequences of HIS actions. I would absolutely report this to the police.

Another vote for calling the police every time, he is doing this to control you.

My ex threatened this on many occasions, the one that sticks in my mind was about a week after we had broken up, I woke in the morning to a string of texts with him getting more drunk and more irate that I wasn't answering, one of them then said he was in my garden and would hang himself with my washing line so I could find his body in the morning. I went running outside and he had cut down my washing line and left loads of empty beer cans in my garden but funnily enough he wasn't there. It was at this point that I realised he meant none of it and he's still alive and kicking 12 years later.

How is he still able to message you if you've blocked him on everything?

If you block you don't receive the harassment. And it is harassment.

He will eventually move on when he realises its less effort to suck someone new in to abuse than it is to reel you back. All he wants is a victim

It is all about control, and threatening suicide is always abusive. I can’t believe you’ve put up with and carried this for 2.5 years @Iykwim when you should have been able to move on with you life. I suggest sending one message telling him not to contact you anymore and if he does you will be contacting the police as you consider it harassment, and any suicide threats will be forwarded to the authorities. The police like to see this so they can say he knows you don’t want co tact, especially after you’ve allowed it to go on for this long.

Please do consider reporting to the police, I know you feel guilt and responsibility and that’s what he relies on. To give you an idea my ex did similar for 6 months and went to prison, so you are not out of order.

Take care of yourself.

How is your ex contacting you? Why have you not blocked him/her (I hate the term they) on all channels of communication?

I agree, that if you get another threat to contact the police for a welfare check. Once your ex realises that suicide threats don't work they should stop.

The welfare and mental health of your ex is not your reponsibility.

I agree with calling the emergency services every time. And going to the police about his harassment. Then live your own life.

Clearly your exes earlier problems with the police have taught him nothing especially if people like you are around to help and support him through it

Just contact the police let them deal with him no further help or support off you needed

Agree with all of the above; it’s a control tactic and you report it to the police each time he does it. And do it now, because this behaviour can escalate into stalking behaviour.

I’m really sorry you are going through this. It’s not your fault. This man is a predator, and you mustn’t feel sorry for him. He means you some harm - he’s inflicting emotional harm on you by doing it.

He may or may not do it, we can't know for certain, but if he dies it must certainly will not be your fault. That's the main thing. When my ex did this, I ignored it the the 1st time, the 2nd time I said if he did this again then I would tell his boss (he works in mental health).

My ex did this although not to the same extent. I ignored him and needless to say 20 years on he is still alive and kicking.

Ignore him or send a message saying you're sorry he feels suicidal and hope he gets help, but you're not responsible for his actions. Then ignore him or report him if he keeps harassing you.

Op, block and move on. Your ex is being manipulative - he threatens suicide when you don't respond as clearly this has got a response in the past. Turning up at your house, causing a scene and bombarding you with e-mails is harassment- you need to block him on everything, and call the police if he turns up again. This stalking type behaviour may well escalate if you don’t take steps to stop it.

You need to report the harassment to the police. Block him on SM, email and phone. If he turns up at your property, call the police and tell them he's threatening to self-harm. With the harassment already logged, it will help your case. I doubt very much he's likely to do anything at all, he's using suicide to try and control your actions. The fact you split 2.5 years ago, and he's still harassing you, is serious. You need to proactive. You've blocked him, but you do need to log the harassment with the police. It's entirely possible he has form for this type of behaviour, but even if he doesn't currently, it needs to be logged to help protect other women he may end up in a relationship with. The more information the police have on file, with evidence, the better.

Do not engage with this man, simply call the police for a welfare check every time. If he acts on a threat, this is on him and the services not on you!

Some good advice here. I would add to that, contact a domestic abuse charity for support and advice.