I've read - and this may or may not be correct, but it sounds the biz to me - that a good way to deal with suicidal plans is to help someone to make *other* plans.

Thing is, when you're down enough, suicide can seem like a solution. "Ah, I have it now. If I top myself that'll end the problem."

If the suicidal person can start thinking constructively about things, and find other, more sensible, solutions, suicide doesn't seem so attractive, and finally recedes to a realistic viewpoint of the mad idea it really is.

Bad spouse? Kids walking all over her? Sounds to me like she's got a case of teenagers. Is there such a thing as "teen-anon" for parents of teenagers?

As for the spouse, well, he's just joining in and being another teenager; not much she can do about that except what you do with teenagers - ignore him when he's bad and give him attention when he's good.

Try to get her talking to Samaritan; sure, they're probably *sometimes* useless, after all, they're humans. But sometimes they're good.

Try to get her making lists: lists of things to do, lists of what's bad and needs to be changed in her life.

Try to get her taking some exercise - take her out to the mountains and walk with her. Excercise and fresh air will help a lot.

She's probably worried about the kids; explain to her that teenagers need a lot of time alone thinking, and are creatures ruled by their raging hormones. The Good People will give back her real children later, and she'll forget she ever had those awful monsters who are living with her at the moment.

And tell her that the thoughts and prayers and kind feelings of Mudcatters are with her. Courage, mon brave!