I'm a bit late but:

Me and my sister once had to talk my mum down from the ledge of a multi-story car park. It was quite a while ago, I was 14/15 my sister 17/18. My parents were going through terrible period. They both had affairs, they both wanted to be anywhere other than in a house with the other. My mum had the first affair and my dad found out. He responded by going to some prostitutes and having an affair of his own. My mum realised that what she had done and ripped our whole family apart. They argued and argued and argued. This went on for years but they both always said they loved each other and wanted to be back to how they were before.

One Sunday afternoon they had a really terrible fight. I'm the youngest of 4 and was the only one at home to witness their fight (brother at boarding school, eldest sister at uni). After I had tried my best to calm them down, and made my sister come home from her boyfriends to help me and support everyone, my mum just flipped.

It wasn't like a normal anger. I'd seen her be angry. This was completely different. She was calm, a bit drunk but calm. She just spoke about ending the fuck up she thought her life was, talking about ending it over and over again. Me and my sister thought we had calmed her down and went to speak to our dad who had retreated to his study during our negotiations.

When we go back to the main house, after spending a while consoling my dad because he needed it to, we realised our mums car was gone. No idea where she is and she doesn't answer her phone. Half an hour later a man rings our house phone saying he is with our mum on the top floor of a car park 20 mins from our house.

Me and my sister go immediately (she had just passed her test). When we get there we realise our mother is literally standing on a ledge 100 feet up. I'm sure if it wasn't for the stranger (I wish I knew his name to say thank you) that saw her up there this story would have a different ending.

Me and my sister spent about 90 mins talking to her. Slowly making her realise that she had a brilliant life with four loving children and hundreds of friends, if not a brilliant marriage.

Eventually she agreed to come home with us. We left her car there and squeezed into my sisters Yaris. The loom of relief on my dads face when we came home spoke volumes (we'd kept him updated but my mum absolutely didn't want to talk to him).

10 years later, one trial separation and thousands of pounds spent on a brilliant marriage counselor, my parents are extremely happily married. They accept they both acted atrociously but at the same time the know they love each other more than anything else in the world.

Me and my sister have never spoken about that night. Before now I've only ever told that story to my therapist, not even my girlfriend knows the whole extent of it.

I really, truly feel for you. When a parent is in such a bad way that they even mention wanting to die it puts an unbelievable burden on you. However, they have to know that you are their child and you are there for them like they were there for you when you were growing up. It's a fucking horrible situation because now you have to faith their mortality and your own future without them and try to make them see how important they are to you and your whole family and all their friends.

I'm sorry you're going through this. Stay safe and all the best for the future.