Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[plo2011]

2 weeks ago my partner wanted to commit suicide. He came to me and I got him to the hospital where he then spent 10 days in a Mental Health unit. He has been out for 3 days now and I'm not only terrified that it will all happen again but I'm also struggling with coping with the events of the whole thing. Does anyone have any advice or can point me in the right direction so that I can deal with this better?

[-karma-]

Hello @plo2011, welcome!

I hear, and understandably so, that you are concerned and scared

As a starting point, and in no particular order, please enter suicide into the above search bar and previous posts from members will come up for you to read, and even respond to if you'd like. If you'd like to invite a member to respond, just use the @ symbol before their name.

Alternatively Sane has some really useful fact sheets on various issues surrounding mental illness which you might like to read here, particularly around suicide;

http://www.sane.org/information/factsheets-podcast​s/434-sane-steps-how-to-help-when-someone-is-suic...

Lifeline 13 11 14 or even the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 would be a valuable resource to both you and your partner, they would speak to family and friends all the time with similar concerns to/as your own.

Who's about to support you @plo2011? A cuppa with a close friend, sister, or colleague that you could trust, just to air some of your concerns?

Let us know how you get on in the coming days, the community here is really supportive and I know they'll do what they can to support you, you're not alone.

Karma

[nigioc]

Hi @plo2011 

How are things tonight?

You sound like you've been through the ringer. Having a partner say out loud that they are on the verge of suicide is a terribly frightening experience. And exactly as you say, where to from here?

I hope you find some answers in your search. If you notice that someone has posted something you relate to, it is perfectly acceptable to ask them about it. The whole aim here is to share our experiences and the things we've learned along the way with each other as a means of helping each other along the journey.

[Alessandra1992]

Hey @ plo2011
Firstly..well done you, you've gotten your partner help which can be such a scary thing to do..and it speaks volumes how much trust your partner has in you to be able to ask you for help..
This must be a scary time for you..did the mental health unit give your partner a discharge pack? Sometimes hospitals include information for carers in those packs and sometimes they include information about peer support groups as well.
You could also ring the hospital and ask to speak to their carer consultant, consumer consultant or family social worker.
Because it is a bit rough to not engage with caters about how best to support your lived one post discharge from hospital.
The other part of the equation might be to find out if your partner is eligible for any community mental health support services?
And depending on where you live, there are peer led groups such as Grow that many people find helps them to recover and stay well..there are all sorts of different groups such as anxiety groups run by anxiety disorders association Victoria (Adavic) to voices groups also operate all round Australia..
Ditto for carers groups, I have attended both Grow and Grow Better Together over a few years..they have given me hope, strength and a strong belief in people..
Be gentle with yourself and if you have someone you can share your situation with, ..then please let that person know..sometimes we need to share our fears with someone who we really trust..
Gentle hugs to you and your partner..