I attempted suicide multiple times as a teenager

[belfastjun]

Just that really. I attempted suicide multiple times as a teenager. AMA!

Are you ok now ? What helped / changed ?

I'm okay as in I haven't attempted for years and appear fine and stable from the outside but I still struggle with my mental health and I'm still trying to run away from my past.

I was in therapy for years and I'm now on medication which helps😊

Did you ask for help or did you hide it until you attempted?

This is my greatest fear as a parent. That my child feels like this but doesn't tell me. And then it's too late.

I'm so glad you're still here OP 💐

Sending you good thoughts for your continuing journey upward, OP.

Would you point to any one thing specific that’s contributed to your mental health? Or is it more of a clusterfuck scenario?

I'm so glad you're still here.

I felt like doing that many, many times during my childhood. I used to long to be sent away to school or to be fostered.

What was your family situation like? Are you still in touch with them now?

I asked for help but it was already very obvious to school that I was struggling. I was self harming and crying out for help in lots of other ways.

Thank you - it's a worry too now I'm a parent but I think open communication and talking about mental health with our children really helps

Ronan Kemp has done a documentary on male suicide that's supposed to be very good. His best friend committed suicide and Ronan was so badly affected by it as he'd had no clue.

BBC iPlayer - Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency

I think it would be well worth watching this with teenage children.

More of a clusterfuck situation. Multiple 'minor' traumas: witnessing domestic abuse, loss of a close grandparent, bullying. But it was the move to secondary school that was the catalyst which sent things spiralling. The bullying escalated and I started hanging around the wrong people getting involved in risky behaviours. And that in turn led to more traumas.

Thank you

Sending u best wishes OP. I have done much reading on the subject after the suicide of my partner. I'm glad you sought help

I have a great relationship with my mum now but during my teen years I kept her at a distance and argued a lot with her etc. I didn't feel I could be 100% open about things with her.

I wasn't in contact with my dad or his side of the family because I blamed him for things that had happened. We're back in contact now and building a relationship again.

I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you and sending them back to you too

I'm sorry to hear that, OP. Did you really want/expect the suicide attempts to work, or were they "a cry for help"? Did you get in trouble afterwards?

They were mostly a cry for help. I didn't want to end my life as such, but wanted to end the pain and couldn't continue. Some of the later attempts I felt at the time I really wanted to end it.

I didn't get in trouble but it made my relationship with my mum difficult as she didn't know why I was doing it.

Im so sorry OP and I'm so glad you're still here. If you had any advice for parents about how to support their teen if they are struggling, what would you say?

Thank you for your reply @belfastjun . I'm glad the medication is helping and I hope you continue to make progress. Bullying's a bugger :( and it sounds like other aspects of your life were difficult too.