When suicide is used as a threat

[rox63]

2. Thank you for your acknowledgement

It truly did scar me for life. I do my best to be helpful and supportive of people who are suffering. But my gut reaction (which I usually manage to keep to myself) is that of imminent threat, and the 'fight or flight' urge. My grandmother kept on threatening after I reached an age where I no longer felt she would actually do it. The thing that broke her spell on me was when I was 12, and she threatened to do herself in over my parents and my decision that I would have outpatient surgery that could cure my bedwetting problem. She would rant that the surgery would steal my virginity, and would threaten to walk into the canal and kill herself if we went through with it.

As I said, I know this feeling is based on my own baggage. Intellectually, I get it. But the gut emotional reaction can be tough to deal with.

~Rox