Coming out of depression into that "chirpy" state can be a particularly dangerous time for manic depressives, as can any change in the treatment regime, Sylivia Paath's being one of the classic cases. Not a goood time to be given too much space.

But there's an important factor in all this, that no-one's given any value to, so far: namely that there are some perfectly intelligent people, clinically ill or not, for whom suicide becomes the necessary course. Where the individual has been committed to this view over the longer term I think it's a view that has to be respected.Any hint that it's a passing mood, or driven by ephemeral external factors, I think intervention is appropriate. A reasonable test might be: would the person at risk be pleased or sorry, six weeks, six years hence, to have been prevented from committing suicide?

The one-time poet and literary critic Al Alvarez has written thoughtfully and extensively on suicide - in particular his autobiographical book, The Savage God. In his case he decided to stick around, gave up the academic life and took up a high-risk career of poker and rock-climbing. The Savage God is probably out of print, in which case settle for one of his more recent books, Where Didt It All Go Right?