OTHFan, I think you have some good advice from some people who have also experienced suicidal thoughts. I hope I can offer you a helpful perspective from someone who has not. That is to say, intellectually I can grasp what suicide means, but emotionally my brain locks it out. I've seen rough times. Sometimes I've not had what I wanted or what I needed, in love, in life, in career, academically, family. I don't think I'm greedy in what I want out of life. It sucks when those things are all going wrong at once and a hole in one area combines with a hole in another, and another, and it starts to look bottomless and maybe hopeless.
Two things that I have no matter what is going on around me.
First is optimism.
I now have a guy in my life and have had for 15 years. I have a house and a dog and a job I don't completely hate. I have some dreams for the future. Places I'd like to see. Things I'd like to do. I have some things going for me, and I know one day for reasons out of my control it could all fall apart because nothing lasts forever. Jobs can be "restructured" into nothingness. Houses can burn down or fall into a sinkhole or get repossessed thanks to the job situation. And even if you stay with someone forever, eventually, "death does you part," so forever is a bit of an illusion. Maybe illness or finances will stop me from travelling or doing anything much. I can remember a time in my life when I had none of those things. I truly believe if all of that fell apart, I'd be optimistic about what to do next. I'd pick myself up, have a good cry, and just pick somewhere to start rebuilding.
The second thing is a mental defence against self-harm.
Like I said, intellectually I can understand what the words mean "to commit suicide." But I literally can't think that through without my brain rebelling against the idea. It's as though some corner of my mind rises up to shout the idea down before I can even fully form the thought in my mind. If my brain had subtitles, it would read something like this:
"You know, if I had a gun, it would be theoretically possible for me to commit s…WAIT! NO! Try something else! There's a better way…just give me a minute and I'll think this through because that is just not an option. The idea is refused! The decision is final: No. Just NO.
My brain actually lectures itself if the subject even comes up.
To me it is an instinct for self-preservation that is just as obvious and uncontrollable as feeling nervous on a high ladder or hungry when you haven't eaten or tired when you have to sleep.
So I have those two things, and I think they keep me safe. Even if my optimism runs low, I still have a mental defence against harming myself. I have those things not because I'm lucky, or better, or because I deserve them while others haven't earned them. I have those things only because my brain is healthy, and that's what a healthy brain usually does.
If optimism slips between your fingers no matter what you try, and if your instinct for defence against self harm is absent, or just worn out, then you may be at risk. It's not because of anything you've done or anything you've failed to be or failed to achieve. It's most likely because of a mental health issue, and you can't blame yourself for that or let anyone else judge you harshly for that. You could have had liver problems or a bad knee or diabetes. But you will need help to stabilize your mental health. You need your brain to be healthy to overcome suicidal ideas, and to overcome disappointments, and to achieve the things you want and need.
With support and time, I believe you will begin experiencing optimism and hope. If that doesn't seem realistic to you, I believe at the very least you could stop the feeling of falling into the depths of nothingness. I hope you will seek further support.
Most importantly, if you don't feel a strong instinct to protect yourself right now, do not mistake that for having "made peace" with the idea of suicide. I believe you have at least a basic functioning will for self-preservation, even if you feel worn out, because you are here asking for options, and I think that's important.