22/10/2026
I am currently attending a 12-week Su***de Attention Training course with Compassionate Inquiry which is really helping me understand the nature of suicidal ideation.
I’m sharing some insights to help me digest what I am learning.
This quote has stayed with me:
“Diagnoses don’t explain anything, they just describe a process.” Dr. Gabor Maté.
Labels such as bipolar disorder, ADHD, borderline personality disorder, or depression can be useful maps. They help us recognise patterns and understand a process, but they cannot tell us the whole story of a person.
I am learning to approach suicidal distress not as a random malfunction, but with curiosity about the pain, context, and history around it. That means exploring the factors contributing to someone’s thoughts and listening deeply for the unmet needs beneath them.
In essence, a label or diagnosis is not the destination. It simply helps us ask better questions to understand the human being beneath it.
What does a diagnosis do for you? I would love to hear other perspectives...?