I am mentally ill I have tried to kill my self several times I know that I have hurt my family in tiring to it was not for attention. What the paramedics did that helped me were just talking to me and asked me what happened that day to make me feel so bad. If there was something that was wrong at my apartment and so on. Some of the paramedics told me about how my family would miss me if I were gone and that this feeling would not last for ever. I was severely abused in my life. I would suggest you just carrying on a normal conversation with them about any thing even if it is what do they like to do for fun? What sports do they like and so on? I am also a cutter and that some times can get misunderstood for a suicide attempt. Well that is a different topic. I am sorry if I was a bother about posting this. I wish that I could be a paramedic or something in the medical field I love helping people a lot. I almost got my certified nursing assistant degree at one point but fell short about 6 hours due to my illness.
Take care every one.
sorry about the spelling
