In this presentation the author focuses on the inability of the suicide prone person to regulate self esteem, to tolerate solitude, & to maintain a coherent sense of self & his resulting dependence on another person or his work or some valued aspect of himself, the loss of any one of which can create a suicidal crisis. Against this background Maltsberger discusses particular concerns with AIDS e.g. danger of HIV testing, social & personal effect of AIDS on the suicide vulnerable person.