These intangible illnesses are very hard to understand for people who don't have or have never had them themselves. Even people close to people suffering from depression and all related illnesses will never understand how it's like living with depression.

We are taught from a very young age how to take care of our bodies, what make our bodies sick, how to prevent our bodies from getting sick, what to do when our bodies get sick and how to heal our bodies but we are never taught about mental health.

It's still strange and disappointing that in 2017, where we have evolved so much as the human race, we still isolate people suffering from mental illnesses when there are actually so many people suffering from various types of mental illnesses in varying degrees.

I think that teaching children about mental health could drastically change how these mental illnesses are perceived and how society as a whole deals with mental illnesses.

I'm quite certain that there are a lot of people suffering from mental illnesses but are in denial or are scared to share their experiences and even seek help.

As a person who has been living with depression everyday for a very long time person i know very well how hard it is to explain what it's like, what I am feeling, why i am feeling that way and why i do the things i do. I commend people who at least try to understand the illness.

Survivors Guilt sucks. I don't self harm in a cutting way. My SIs are more passive but still just as dangerous. There were many times that I have felt like such a financial burden on my family that I have not called them or honestly brought up my feeling for months or even years. I want to protect my family from the dangerous thoughts that cross my mind so I keep them secret, tucked in a journal or hidden in a painting. I have snuck out of bed in the middle of the night to call emergency help lines. My symptoms are illness driven and they know I am not well. As an adult, they can try to help me. But I have to make the choice to live stronger, be healthier and be honest with myself, doctor and therapist. I try to remind myself to not choose the opposite actions. Which in DBT and CBT means returning to the short term unhealthy behaviors. This also means not beating up yourself for the past choices too. You can choose this moment to be the new you. You aren't your past you. You have today. This hour. This moment. The past and future are not under your control. Only now.

Yes! Even the people with the illness have trouble explaining an Episode! But one thing is for sure... They are terrified of getting it again...

If I'm correct you mention that "12 threats of suicide of a person of that many years old" or something like that, right? So, young people failing to take their lives so many times and bragging about it.

ATTN: GRAPHIC.......
I am what is called a "cutter". When I was a kid, I cut to dissociate from pain, and as a sort of cry for help. I thought many times that I was trying to kill myself but what it was was suicidal ideation. For me, I was trying to end it all. But not necessarily die. I wasn't INTENT on dying, otherwise I'd have succeeded. In the moment, nothing but death was on my mind. Cutting does kill, pain. I cut, and I cut many, many times and was hospitalized every time. Like I said, I believed sincerely that I was trying to kill myself, so each episode was an "attempt." I could "count" the times I "tried to kill myself", and I became tangible. In high school, my best friend successfully took her life, this made me feel like I failed at taking my own. I still feel this way, 30 years later. People aren't playing games, manipulating (most of the time)...they are sometimes screaming for help in the only way they know how. I've noticed that self harm among the youth has become a sick, kind of cool thing to do. Sort of a way of uniting lost souls. It's such a scary world. Trying to commit suicide, no matter how half heartedly it looks, should be taken with the utmost seriousness.

Honestly, from where I sit,,,I have actually known several people who have committed suicide successfully. If someone wants to die,, truly die, there's a very good chance they hadn't asked anyone for help, never gave a warning, and try to make sure that it's followed thru.
Maybe the many attempts r actually cries for help.Or when they call a hotline, or tell a friend or doctor,,,someone who has the chance to stop them before the deal is done.
It's so hard to know what people have on their minds,, but rest assure if there has been any attempts at all,, they r hurting. Maybe they r in a situation where that's the only way they can find that they do get help.