It is actually incredibly easy to hide suicidal thoughts

[Lucilius]

I was at the shrink today (I need that goddamn sleep medication) while posting here. It is incredible how, despite I must have been giving the guy (or some point in the wall 20° to the left of him) an incredible dead stare I just had to say a few words according to the script for the guy to not bother inquiring into my state of mind beyond the bare minimum and just say "I think it is better to maintain the current medication" and let me go. Are these greedy medical bureaucrats the touted "help"?

Truly, people don't care and don't want to know. All that matters to them are any potential liabilities. Family is not any different. As long as you behave, smile, pose for the photo with grandma and laugh at the same old jokes, any signs of whatever mental distress you might be going through can be ignored and, rest assured, will be ignored. No need to try hard. People see only what they want to see and typically only spring into action motivated by what they fear someone could think of them.

This is truly an uncaring nightmare world. And the vast majority of interactions on it ossified rituals.

 

[Akanea]

Same, i just say that "I don't have suicidal thoughts" when they ask and it's enough. I don't want to end up in a psych ward being fed 50 different medications

 

[TAW122]

I would say that it really varies as multiple factors come into play. Does the person whom one interacts with know the person on a personal level? Does the person whom one interacts with know about whether the person has means to CTB? (This question really is a big factor in whether pro-lifers will act or intervene!) Is the person whom one interacts with know the signs and are adept at subtly picking them up? I'm sure there are more factors, but for people who don't know others as well or on a personal level, then yes, a simple answer and trying to 'fit' in normally/blend in would be sufficient for them not to probe or scrutinize an individual.

 

[Lucilius]

I have never in my life been asked "are you ok" when I wasn't, unless I was making a scene of some sort. Then people worry about optics. For instance, every time I had a fight with my family and started crying they would block my exit aggressively grab me from the arm to prevent me from leaving the apartment because they were too scared of what the neighbours might think of them if they saw me leaving in a state of distress. Nobody knows anyone "on a personal level" these days and people simply don't want to be picking up subtle signs of anything. Why bother? That's too much effort. The show must go on.

 

[telro]

It was laughably easy to convince my psychiatrist that I was feeling better. In public, I've stopped hiding the fact that I feel like garbage all the time, but even in that case it's easy to just blame it on a physical illness