What happens if you tell a doctor that you're suicidal?

[ToadsJustFellFromTheSky]

Just that really.

When a doctor asks you whether you've had thoughts about actually hurting yourself or if you've made any plans to and you tell them you have, what (if anything) do they do?

There have been times in the past when I've wanted to talk about how I really feel but am always scared about what will happen.

I have been to the doctor so many times for suicidal thoughts. Mostly they do fuck all. Even when I tried to do it and ended up in hospital, as they were discharging me, I told them I was going straight home to try again, they let me go.

Useless.

Unless the person is in crisis/severely depressed and is deemed at imminent risk of making a suicide attempt they will not be admitted to hospital and will be supported in the community. The person will be assessed for biological symptoms of clinical depression/psychosis, asked if they have active plans to end their life/or fleeting thoughts, history is taken into account also. In many cases where a person does not have clinical depression but rather a borderline/emotionally unstable personality disorder it is often not appropriate to admit to hospital but rather support them through the crisis without removing them from their home environment.
It is important to be honest when being assessed to ensure your treatment plan is right for you.

Agree with all the 'fuck all' comments. She looked at my meds, couldn't decide what to do so referred me to a psychiatrist who could take over!

My brother killed himself. His GP knew about his thoughts and he even told him how he planned to do it. I am not blaming the GP for this but really they do very little.

Well in my case they just ticked a box and then offered me anti-D's.

And sadly, like furrylittlecreatures, my sister successfully killed herself in 2013 despite lots of GP visits and psychiatric help.

I went a&e when I felt suicidal. There I was told that
a) there are no beds
b) crisis team doesn't take new referrals before Monday ( it was Friday)
c) psychiatrist is somewhere performing mental health act

Basically she could only offer diazepam. After she went somewhere and when she came back she told home treatment team will come and see me. I saw them twice...

I told my GP Friday. He said he would call crisis team but haven't heard anything. I am in physical pain & now emotionally. I have sucidal thoughts constanbg because I can't cope with the physical pain

Crisis team didn't contact me. Called Samaritans this morning. Scared about taking AD on top over other medications. What is the alternative.

My doctor glazed over, avoiding further discussion - 'seems to be beyond his remit on a Tuesday!

Hi there I’m going through the same thing now 😨 It’s been a while since you’ve commented. Can I ask how you got on? I’m a 40 yr old man who suffers with severe depression, have done for over 10 years. Suicidal thoughts V high. Worried to tell GP as scared of being put away. Hope you’re well. ✌️

I have a relative with very severe MH issues. Without going in to explicit detail due to the nature of triggering she has been hospitalised quite a few times.

I think it's in the nature of what she does which is why it's taken to the next level. As people have said saying you want to kill yourself is something they probably hear a lot. She has never gone along and told them she feels suicidal she does things that should be final and should have given her an extremely violent death.

I was once in my old GPs surgery trying to find a way out of severely depressive thoughts and she just said something to the effect of...oh you dont have any real problems. Think of those guys coming back from Iraq or who have been injured or killed..."..and i guess you have to say ,well there is some value in what she said, but it didnt help me then and there!

People say suicides are cowards and selfish. I think that it utter bollocks. I think suicides are incredibly brave and powerful people. What courage it must take to do something like that. I couldnt do it.

I'm not celebrating it mind you and its unfortunate that for some it comes to this,but it does take guts.

The NHS isnt geared for dealing with this kind of stuff. There are precious few resources and they know that suicidal thoughts are miles from doing it so they operate in that mid ground. Seriously though, unless they incarcerate you, there is no way they can stop you if you choose to is there and it is as simple as that.

It all seems so illogical from the outside looking in. I remember a fairly recent case in my local paper. The photo of a pretty young lady in her twenties, everything to live for, a student,family,attractive and yet now dead.

they know that suicidal thoughts are miles from doing it so they operate in that mid ground. Seriously though, unless they incarcerate you, there is no way they can stop you if you choose to is there and it is as simple as that.

But they can help make your life more tolerable so suicide doesn't seem like your only way out.

I'm in this position where I'm trying my best to find a way on, but I can't get the therapy I need (or any support) so there isn't hope of getting better. If they provided therapy (or had done 7 years ago when they were supposed to) I'd not feel so hopeless.

I feel sad that so many posters to this thread have had such uincaring responses from their GPs.

I went to my GP, told him I couldn’t stop thinking about suicide. He asked if I had a plan and when I said yes he got straight onto local MH team. They told me to go straight to see them at local hospital. When I hadn’t arrived after 30 mins they phoned me to find out where I was - they wanted to send ambulance to pick me up. Was interviewed at hospital by nurse practitioner who wanted to admit me but that’s not what I wanted so they called DH and would only let me go home when he arrived. CPN called later im evening to see I was ok. Went back next day to see psychiatrist and everyday after for fortnight - now go every 2 months.

I have never felt more alone and without hope than when I tried to get help during a MH crises. Useless gps, brief chat and sent home from A&E after waiting for hours.
It was an additional trauma.

My doctor was super lovely when I talked to him about suicidal thoughts, made me wish I'd told him about it earlier. He talked me through it, gave me some self help strategies and was generally very reassuring about the whole thing. And he made me come back a week later to see how I was. No mention of changing medication etc.

The one time he thought I was expressing suicidal ideation rather than thoughts (I.e. doing not thinking) he referred me to the crisis team aswell (who weren't that helpful TBH) but still made me go and see him a while later.

I suppose it depends on who you're talking to and how comfortable they are with the subject, and what sort of person they are. And it depends on you history and presentation.

As has been said, you have to work quite hard to be hospitalised!

Think it depends on Gp, I have been like this three times and they discuss it with you. Once I had to see go every week and another time I was given a number straight to Gp and another time nothing
I have has ad and much better now but I had a clear plan and apparently could talk through it rationally. I had researched it in great detail which I think scared them and me. I realise I have been lucky

Suicidal thoughts absolutely DO lead to suicidal actions

I cannot believe that anyone and particularly not anyone working in health would think this.

Suicide is common, it is the biggest killer of men under 45in the uk. My brother died of suicide despite GP and CMH support and it makes me so so angry that people can ask for help and be dismissed like this.

I’m hoping to revive this thread as it is something I’ve been wondering about recently. I have a history of depression, I was better but recently I’ve gone really downhill. I’m worried about going back to the gp as I’m out of work, and I’m worried being treated for depression might prevent me from getting work (health questionnaire is always on my job apps). I know they always ask about suicidal thoughts, and I want to admit that I do have them, but I’m worried about what might happen then inrelation to my children and my future job- I work in healthcare, and I’m concerned social services issues will prevent me finding work.
Don’t know what to do next really

Hi all,

We're really sorry, but we don't allow posts that contain methods and will have to remove any of these we see.

We hope you don't mind, but when these threads are flagged up to us we usually add a link to our Mental Health resources. You can also go to the Samaritans website, or email them on [email protected]. Support from other Mumsnetters is great and we really hope you will be able to take some comfort from your fellow posters, but as other MNers will tell you, it's really a good idea to seek RL help and support as well.

In my experience they don't do much, though I would say I was more at the 'thoughts' than 'action' stage. GP was sympathetic, discussed my AD dose and promised to chase my therapy referral but it still took 5 months to come through but which time I was well out of crisis mode. Might be different if you have small children or are actually threatening immediate action.

Call the samaritans every day if you need, to get through a crisis. They can talk to you for a whole hour.