Thinking about suicide can feel scary and shameful.
But it is surprisingly common.

If you talk about suicidal thoughts or feelings to friends or family, they might react with understanding and compassion, or fear, shock and worry. They may give you bad advice, tell you to “get over it”, or not take you seriously.

If you are lucky enough to have a compassionate friend, they may help you unpack the feelings, encourage you to get help, or even take you to a safe place.

If you tell a person who is a “mandated reporter” (a teacher, courselor, therapist, coach, etc.) that you have an intent to harm yourself or others, they are required by law to call 911 for a “wellness check”. This means that police officers will show up and do an assessment to try to figure out how serious you are about hurting yourself or someone else. If you have made a legitimate threat - for example, if you are holding a weapon - they may be required to take you to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. This whole situation can be very scary, especially if you have a reason to be afraid of police involvement. 

Someone who has experienced this once, or understands the rule, may be reluctant to tell the truth about their state of mind, out of shame, embarrassment, not “wanting to make a big deal out of it” or because of the possibility of being hospitalized. But keeping it a secret can be fatal. And talking about it can help.

The idea of suicide can be very frightening to be holding inside. Letting it out and talking  it through can be a relief. A therapist or suicide hotline worker will be good at asking follow-up questions, to figure out how much danger you are in. Especially if your thinking is distorted by mental illness, drugs or alcohol, a hospital might be the safest and best place to get care. Sometimes people who are suicidal are looking for a way to “escape” from feelings or circumstances - and a short stay in a hospital could provide that exact escape from a stressful situation, to gain perspective and make a plan for self-care. The stigma of being “locked up” sounds much worse than it actually is. You may be surprised how many people you know who have been in the same situation.

Just as you would not hesitate to go to the emergency room if you were having a heart attack, you should not be afraid to go to the hospital for mental health.