Discussion How do you think a therapist would feel if one of their patients committed suicide?

[Liebestod]

This thought just popped into my mind and now I'm wondering imagine if your the therapist of someone who ctb. Bet it would be weird how you had someone confide in you for the sole purpose of not doing that action. I bet they would be like "fuck, what do I get paid for".

 

[MyShadow]

I have been lying to my therapist about my deep dive into suicide methods, and because I have no Emergency Contacts or family listed on my paperwork, it will take a while for him to find out. Because I go to a clinic instead of a private practice, I know that his caseload is full, so my case will most likely slip between the cracks.

It happened before. I went to a fancy private clinic and they simply forgot that I existed despite being in crisis. The system is broken here in the US.

 

[Liebestod]

I have been lying to my therapist about my deep dive into suicide methods, and because I have no Emergency Contacts or family listed on my paperwork, it will take a while for him to find out. Because I go to a clinic instead of a private practice, I know that his caseload is full, so my case will most likely slip between the cracks.

It happened before. I went to a fancy private clinic and they simply forgot that I existed despite being in crisis. The system is broken here in the US.

I'm in the U.S. too and have been lying to both my therapist and psychiatrist about my suicide research and the fact that I'm having ideation to begin with. I just imagine my parents possibly going to them about it if I go through with it but I'll make sure to cover everything in my note if I write one.

 

[Dejected 55]

I doubt they care. They aren't responsible for your actions. If they actually cared, they wouldn't want to do that job for so many people. Doctors have to detach and care less than most people do. But also at the end of the day, it's their job. They wouldn't ultimately feel anything more than a cashier you pay for groceries every week would.

 

[CumbriaCTB]

"Uh oh, it seems I'm not going to be making rent this month."

 

[willitpass]

It can actually be incredibly traumatic for therapists, especially if they're early on in their career. Nobody wants someone to die, and someone dying by suicide is seen as especially tragic. For someone to be struggling so much that they end their life isn't something to be brushed off lightly. It can cause some people to question how good they are at their job, it can cause them to pick apart if they missed something, they can wonder what they could have done differently. I don't work in mental health, but working in healthcare I know that losing a patient in general is a heavy burden to carry. Especially if it's a patient you have gotten to know over a long period of time, it's hard. You obviously have to maintain professional boundaries, but that doesn't mean you don't grieve them. I still remember the names and stories of every patient I have lost. If they work for a decent agency, they're job will have a procedure to help them cope and ensure that they get proper care so that it doesn't weigh on them too heavily or impact their treatment of other clients, but some places aren't well equipped for that and it can and does impact some people to the point of impacting their ability to work.

It's a risk they're aware they're taking on when they go into the field, and it's one that they have to learn to deal with in a healthy way, but that doesn't mean it isn't hard.