North Lanarkshire Council has been forced to issue a grovelling apology after posting that "suicidal thoughts are not an illness".
Dozens of people hit out at the local authority on Facebook after the post last night, which has since been deleted, which suggested the the "strength and personality" of those suffering will "get them through it."
The post read: "Suicidal thoughts are not an illness.
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"Everyone has an individual story and worries of their own.
"It's personal you, your background, your experiences and your history."
It continued: "Your strength and personality will get you through it.
"By telling and sharing your story you can help yourself and others.
"Never give up on yourself or those you care about".
The council say the post was never intended to cause distress, but locals described the post as "condescending and unhelpful".
Shocking figures released by NHS Lanarkshire back in September show that 406 people took their own life in the area between 2014 and 2018.
A number of people expressed their outrage on the post before it was deleted.
North Lanarkshire Council apologised for the post, adding they are "committed" to helping people.
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A spokesperson for Suicide Prevention North Lanarkshire told the Glasgow Times: “We apologise if our social media post about suicide prevention caused upset.
"This was certainly not the intention and we fully understand the sensitivities around this subject and that many people may experience mental ill health and suicidal thoughts at any point in their life.
"We are committed to offering support and advice through our suicide prevention campaign to anyone concerned about suicide or worried about someone with suicidal thoughts.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling, you can call the Samaritans at any time from any phone for free on 116 123
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