Feels good to realize I'm not as alone as I've felt with regard to my thoughts about suicide. I've had a couple of attempts in my past and I've been hospitalized more times than I can count but all of that was many years ago. Like many of you I think about suicide or death but don't actually make any kind of plan. I have a daughter now who needs me and I can't imagine leaving her behind to deal with this world and the people in our family without me here to protect her. I hadn't really thought about what pandora said about learning to live for myself. I've just been so proud of myself that wishing and planning for my death weren't part of my everyday life that I guess I didn't think it really mattered what the reason was. For now staying alive for my daughter will have to be enough because at least it gets the job done but I'll have to work on wanting to live for me. Thanks for the insight.

In response to the original question...I don't usually tell my doctor when suicidal thoughts first begin but if they persist I'm honest. I've been with my current doctor for about six years now and haven't been hospitalized a single time. I really think it is because I'm able to be honest with him and he can help me before things spin completely out of control for both of us.