very very sorry you are going through this.

My uncle took his life in 1987.

I was a violent crime victim in 1982. I was kidnapped and held for a time.

In 1983 and 1984, I became profoundly suicidal.

I have successfully fought against suicidal feelings for over 40 years now. It is hardly and easy struggle.

I still suffer from depression, but it no longer becomes suicidal depression.

Based on my experiences and my interactions with other folks who have been suicidal, I have to say something that may shock folks.

I absolutely do not believe that anyone who has not personally experienced suicidal feelings, really and truly understands what that is.

To be clear, I held a knife to my wrist and a bottle of pills to my mouth, many many times. Over the years? At least 25 times, maybe closer to 50.

The thing folks just cannot understand is that in that state, you see ZERO light, zero hope. It is all darkness and nothing gets through. People think, oh, just think about the good things. There are no good things in that place.

What I did, was just develop an ability to do a kind of reverse siege mentality. I would just hunker down and wait it out, until the darkness faded. Sometimes that was 2 hours, sometimes that was 2 days, sometimes that was 2 weeks.

Just sit on the couch, turn on the TV and do absolutely nothing else.

That is how I got through.

That being said, from what I know about autism? Autism is an entirely different form of consciousness.

So, while I do feel qualified to discuss suicidal feelings general, I absolutely do not know if they apply to autistic folks.

So, suggestions?

Absolutely number one.

She just can not be left alone. And I mean NEVER. I don't know how logistically that could be accomplished, but that is key.

If she were my daughter? I would go outside the law and literally handcuff her to the bed at night. Not joking.

And during the day, just someone with her...and I mean every second of every day.

The hope would be that the suicidal depressions would slowly fade after a couple of years and she could come out from that kind of scrutiny.

You know, Abraham Lincoln went suicidal after his girlfriend died. And, from what I understand, they basically locked him in a room and kept watch. I have a friend, combat vet from Vietnam. He goes suicidal once and awhile and his friends have to surround him and keep watch.

So, that is the deal, re security, from my point of view.