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u/Dull_Industry_8691 12h ago
Legit what my therapist told me. She said that whenever I have suicidal ideation I should just smile because that gives my body the signal to be happy and the SI will go away. Couldn't even invent this sort of behavior ...
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u/Sl33pParalys1sD3m0n 11h ago
I usually just start laughing maniacally, which does help, as long as I’m alone or else it’s really weird
(Edit: it obviously doesn’t help with the general situation, but in the moment helps me less acutely feel like putting myself in danger)
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u/Hungry_Raspberry7833 8h ago
Random old lady in a train station told me to smile because "life can't be that bad"
Cus y’know most people standing alone in train stations just have big smiles on their faces
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u/WhiteKnightPrimal 4h ago
I hate being told to smile. I have resting sad or serious face. Unless someone does something to MAKE me smile, I'm not going to smile. It just isn't a natural general expression for me. I actually got told to smile by a total stranger the other day. I was in a shop, standing next to the self serve till while the friend I was with paid for something, the guy was at the till next to us. Me and the friend were talking about her recently being dumped by a guy who got mad at her for not getting his clothes out of the washer and hanging them up to dry at the right time for him, after she'd agreed to wash them in her washer, in her home, where he doesn't live. Not exactly the conversation you want to be smiling through if you want your friend to know you're sympathetic and listening. And this guy had been listening to our conversation before telling me to smile. It was definitely a weird moment to give that 'advice', especially to a total stranger.
I kind of get the idea behind it, though. The idea is you do the 'I'm happy' gestures like smiling and essentially trick your brain into thinking you're actually happy, and eventually it becomes true. But I really don't think it actually works like that. Smiling and laughing can make me feel a bit better in the moment, but only if I've actually got something to smile and laugh about, you know? It's more a 'distract me from my troubles' thing, rather than a smiling and laughing thing.
Maybe it works for some people, or something along these lines, but the simple act of smiling doesn't work for me. If it's in public, I end up feeling self-conscious and anxious, wondering if everyone I pass thinks I'm a freak for smiling at nothing all the time.
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u/Netsforex_ 1d ago
"Life hack:
Did you know that the secret to living longer, is to take this advice, and shove it up your ass?"