Mental health is terribly stigmatised still, regardless of what people may say, yes the world is improving but people still love a good old 'man up' or on suicide itself still love a good old 'cowards way out' comment.
When i hear this it takes all my inner strength to not go ballistic, to tell myself to stay calm.
People who are ill are damaged people, people try to reach out for support and all they get from emotionally stunted apes is 'man up'.
Suicide is not a cowards way out, until you have been there at that point you have no right to that opinion.
You're in pain, not a physical pain but a pain that consumes your thoughts, a pain that alters your whole world perspective, you start to think that it is the world that is selfish, the world that hates you but makes you live here, slowly dying, slowly suffering. You release yourself from the world because that is the only option you can focus on to take the pain away, like a pill for a headache.
Sometimes you work through it, the support network is there, and even with the best support network, life is very very hard for a long time.
Sometimes it consumes you and you take your life.
Sometimes you try to take your life and not succeed, i tried 3 times in my early 20's which then lead to me being sectioned.
I've always been pretty open, i refuse to let it be a stigma but i sometimes see the discomfort it brings when i do talk about it.

Very well put.hope people take notice of what you have written. I have suffered with depression and anxiety for years every time i think i have turned a corner and getting somewhere with it i get another kicking. My wife died 4 weeks ago aged 49 and this as just sent me down in a massive,right now im angry beyond belief and im having to be careful in what i say and do,seeing idiotic posts does me no favours.

Absolutely right.

Good post Yed, very open honesty and from the heart.

Karetaker I wish I had the words to make things easier. I'm sorry for your loss.

spot on!!
I got a quick interview with the panorama team in the Rodney a few weeks ago it was shown on Monday evening had to tell Simon that my farther committed suicide some 40 years ago!

Spoke to Simon for a while off camera told him I was impressed with his dedication to the programme and hope it saves a few dozen lives as well .