Poll: Suicide

[WanderingFool]

I naturally prevent people from committing suicide from just being within the area... either that, or there hasnt been anyone who truly felt like com meting suicide around where I live... yeah, never had the opportunity.

 

[marcooos]

Some people commit suicide for completely justifiable reasons, other people kill themselves because they're too cowardly to work out their problems the hard way.

As with any group of people, there are extemes on both sides.

No reason is justifiable enough for suicide to be okay.

What if your family and friends all died in a massive fire which destroyed everything you owned. You were also paralysed in the fire.

You have LITERALLY nothing left. Are you telling me if your lost EVERYTHING all at once you would not kill yourself?

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/538.266196-The-end-of-the-road

Please read the OP.
I am still alive. Although I'm not paralyzed.

Now, tell me another worst case scenario.

Fuck....... mate it makes me a wuss but that made me cry.

You have my utmost respect

 

[P.Tsunami]

I would agree with some of that with the acceptation that if you have dependents and you try to kill yourself you just not a good human being.

...

Let me make sure I've got that on straight. You think that categorically, anyone who - regardless of reason - commits suicide when they have people who have depend on them, are bad human beings?

Are you serious? Have you thought this through?

 

[technophebe]

I just find this thread so utterly ridiculous, it's not even offensive.

Why anyone would think the Escapist forums are a suitable place to discuss such a serious and complex subject is beyond me; it's clear that anyone who is even remotely informed on the issues involved isn't going to take the time to post.

OP, what were you actually hoping to achieve here?

 

[P.Tsunami]

anyone whom abandons their children to be alone without a parent so that they can voluntary end their lives. Yes I do unless their some really convincing reasons why they are doing it.

In which case you're not categorical about it, which is good. The fewer intolerant, ignorant opinions I have to call out here, the better.

 

[thelastgentleman]

SNIP

.....I HAVE ADHD and my mother had depression. Depression is caused by a Neurochemical Imbalance which can be treated by application of various forms of medication. This is the position we have come to take after OVER A CENTURY OF RESEARCH ON NEUROLOGY AND THE HUMAN BRAIN. THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IS NOT GOD. THEY CANNOT SIMPLY MAKE UP A CRIPPLING NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION. And saying people should just "Overcome it"?

Let's try that with other mental problems:
Schizophrenics? YOU NEED NO MEDICINE! Just get over your violent hallucinations and psychotic episodes! You can do it, its' just a mental thing!

Bipolar people? You just need to get a little control! All those people who flip out and hurt themselves and others were simply WEAK.

Sociopaths! You're evil because you CHOOSE to be, not because you're completely and utterly devoid of human sympathy due to malformed neural structures that cause you to manipulate and harm those around you!

Please before you blow a gasket take a deep breath and re-read my statement. Im talking purely about the over diagnosis of depression. ADHD, Schizophrenia, and many other disorders should be taken with serious deliberation however a child who simply has eaten too much sugar or is simply being a child should not be improperly diagnosed just because parents want a cop out for doing their job. Depression should be treated the same way. Proper Psychiatric treatment should be sought out in all cases. In my "personal" (I cant say that enough) this route is not sought out enough. As it lies 91% of depression lies in a deep rooted psychological problem whether it be: Obesity, Bullying, Low Self-Esteem, or Loss. All very "easily" (simple yet arduous process) reversible with the proper help and desire to overcome it. Medication will do nothing but numb the problems. It might help with the feeling but the "disorder" is never gone. If you really want to rid yourself of your monsters FACE THEM!! Take your childhood hero's to heart and follow in their footsteps. My personal favorite character Link from the Zelda Franchise is my favorite. Although facing intolerable and gruesome odds this hero emerges from a humble background. Facing foes and EVEN HIMSELF (in the Ocarina of Time water temple) Link defeats his enemies and creates a brighter future, his past is not forgotten but instead acts as a stepping stone for his future endevours. Use this as your cure not chemically made pills. Now I get paid for every non-generic drug I prescribe to my patients, but Ill gladly forgo the extra income if it means that people are able to help themselves without my intervention. If there is ever a time my job become useless...well then on that day I can retire and die a happy man, but until then all a can do is warn you of your own actions and hope you make the right decision.

 

[JeetKuneDonut]

(Suicide) is the only way powerless people can think of to take others' attention away from their own shame. The intention is not to die, but to hide.
-Orson Scott Card

 

[icyneesan]

Suicide in real life: Depends, if a person keeps failing to kill themselves one has to wonder what else could be left for them

Suicide in video games: That guys got chainsaw for arm and you backpedal into a zombie/corner, you might as well throw grenades at your feat and hope you get the kill *shrug*

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I always try to help. Making fun of them would be incredibly cruel IMO.

 

[Soluncreed]

Yes I have mocked a suicidal person. In person, never. As a joke, yes. I am of the personal belief that nothing should be allowed to escape humor. It is just a joke.

Personally, I don't really care if a person commits suicide, as this is their choice, not mine. People are in control of themselves and choose to act upon that power. Who I am to deny that of them.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

I've joked with the few suicidal people I know about it, only to get theirs minds off of it and get them to laugh, but I'm not gonna be mean spirited about it. I'm not gonna take their reasons and berate them for it, that's just mean and a dick move. It's not for me to have a say about their life unless they asked me for it, but Jesus some of these comments here are just cold.

For the record, when I've joked with those people, I knew they could take a joke, so it's not like I was doing it to be cruel.

 

[Vredesbyrd67]

I stand by my point: Everybody has the right to live, everybody has the right to die.
And well, if you want to die at the moment, and you kill yourself...you can't really change your mind afterwards and regret it. Because, well, you're dead. So it doesn't turn out unfortunate for you (as you can see, I don't believe in afterlife, so your mileage may vary).

And yes, people who commit suicide actually do want to commit suicide. They may had changed their minds if they stayed alive longer, but at the moment of comitting suicide, they wanted to do so. And as I said: Since they can't regret it, it's not really a bad situation for them. Being dead is neither good nor bad because you can't feel happiness, nor sadness.

And I am noone to judge anyone on what they do to themselves.

In a manner of speaking, yes they technically do "want" to commit suicide. However, you're forgetting that these people are mentally ill, and their thinking patterns are extremely twisted and illogical. That's the nature of suicidality; a person sees things in ways that may not actually be as negative as they think they are. If they realized that they were unconsciously blowing things out of proportion, they would probably reconsider. This is the case with most with suicidal depression. ie: Things are never as bad as they think they are, so the reasons for their contemplation of suicide as a potential solution don't exist. If they were able to see this, they wouldn't want to do it anymore.

 

[Peteron]

Yeah, i've called several of them cowards before. Mostly because I know they are all talk. Tell them to grow a pair.

 

[Ampersand]

You should be really impressed with yourself, I can count on one hand how many people there are who have actually made me angry and you're very close to making the cut.

Well, that's just a perfectly normal response to someone calling you out on your bullshit.

Your soldier metaphor is a very good one. If you're on a battlefield with no bullets and a broken sword that doesn't give you the right to stop fighting, you've got teeth, you've got nails you've got blood running through you're veins and if there is anyone in the world that means even the tiniest little bit to you then you will use every little bit of it to bite and scratch and claw you're way out of whatever dark place you've dug yourself into, because you owe it to them if not yourself.

Congratulations, you'll have died knowing that last bit you did was absolutely worthless. I'm sure you'll be patting yourself on the back for that one.

I've known depression, I've been there and I've been there for good friends who have known it too. I'd charge unarmed against the armies of hell for them and I'd expect nothing less from anyone else.

Oh yes, compound bullshit with lies, that's clearly the way forward.

Oh, you don't actually expect me to believe you, do you?

I meant what I said, I'm slow to anger, the only thing that riles me up is cynics who give up on life, especially their own. Though now that it's come up I don't care much for narcissism either and you've clearly got plenty of that too.

More worthless then falling on my own sword? not even close. As long as my heart beats I've got the power to make my life better as well as those of everyone I care about. It doesn't matter how beaten and battered I am, every blood soaked inch I gain would be worth more to me then anything in the world. The same should go for everyone.

Of course I must be lying, otherwise you might have to accept that some people can confronts adversity with courage as opposed to cynicism. Evidently neither I nor the people I keep company with are as easily defeated as you are.

I guarantee you, a lot of people have battled through much worse then what ever trials you've got in your life.
The only hole that you can't pull yourself out of is your grave.

 

[William Dickbringer]

I make jokes about it but if it's someone I know and care about then I won't make fun of them and try to help them if it's someone I don't know then I will try my best to help them
and really they only make fun of the suicidal because they may feel that they are low for wanting to take their own life before their time has come because things are looking harsh and have no light at the end of the tunnel (the suicidal) and the other people feel that they've gone through rougher time and feel that the person is weak and lesser than they are so they have full rights to insult them (talking the actual suicidal not the fakers if they wanna fake it for attention they can go fuck themselves)

 

[thelastgentleman]

*Facepalm

Please read my previous comments.

No I don't agree that depression should be a medical disease as it currently is. Im not saying this to be insensitive, but seriously from a medical standpoint it was only added to benefit from the financial pocketbooks of major drug companies. I know this sounds very conspiracy heavy but from a personal experience it is true. Saying that a population is suffering from "Cronic Depression" is the equivalence to saying 80% of the U.S population under the age of 10 have ADHD and need immediate treatment to surcome their disorder....No for the love of god no they dont. Their only problem is that THEY ARE KIDS their Calcitonin levels are there their Insulin levels are not proper yet and they are rambunctious. A natural reaction to a natural cause...thats all depression is. Of course im taking a highly humanist and psychoanalytical approach to this, but a minor hitch in serotonin levels does not constitute a disorder. Dont get me wrong there are worse diseases that have less deficiencies, but take a look at your body under sympathetic stress and you'll find your ALL people suffer from Depression its a mental inhibitor that must be overcome by the individual not drowned out by medication.

I am now seriously worried. I hope, at least, that you do not work at all with anyone dealing with mental disorders. The reason for that, of course, is the arguments you're constructing. While I don't have the time to spare for an exhaustive list, I'll point out a few examples. First, I wouldn't argue that a "minor" hitch in serotonin levels should necessarily constitute and be diagnosed as a mood disorder, sure. But you accompany that with a statement that depression categorically should not be classified a disorder (which is the preferred term when addressing mental health issues, not "disease"). Secondly, you seem to equate that since everyone has, to some degree, the same biochemical processes in their brain, that must mean everyone has depression. That's just as nonsensical as claiming that since everyone's cells grow, everyone has cancer. Thirdly, you prove ham-handedly that you have zero understanding of what the words "humanist" and "psychoanalytical" work. Your entire argument is riddled with rampant flaws, steeped in speculative conspiracy, and only serves to embarrass you.

Again, I urge you to find another job.

I realize you feel strongly on this subject so ill to keep this civil so you don't spout off again. First in defense for my verbatum I would like to point out that currently Depression is categorized as a "disease" much the same as Alcoholism is. I say disorder to point out the fact that many people believe they have this disease and have been treated in such fashion that would presume that they would have one. This is my official statement in trying to falsify my statement you missed it entirely. I believe that depression IS a disorder or I could even go farther in saying that "people who believe that they have Cronic Depression" have a disorder...the latter a bit more controversial and extreme, but with the right statistical analysis I wouldn't doubt it to be true (i dont have to time to prove this but it is an interesting thought). If you disagree please check the medical journal for verification. Moving forward my statement about Humanism was to simply state that I follow the thought that people are generally born "Good", and therefore should have the concious capability to make deep personal decisions. This is one of the major pillars of the Humanist thought and if you wish to debate otherwise i suggest you Necromance Carl Rogers and ask him yourself. As for Psychoanalysis I simply wanted to suggest that the usage of investigative psychoanalysis could GREATLY benefit those who believe that they have a problem. So I have to ask...Do you even know what you were saying in your post? You threw out a lot of scientific jargon but none of it had the slightest validity in proving your argument. Its ok if your mad at me for believing this way, but attack me then next time if your feel that way. If not then make root your points in more intrinsic data not against my own opinion. Or even better try the Socratic dialog that always seems to work.

 

[Icehearted]

Edit: I'm not asking about whether you have mocked suicide, I'm asking about whether or not (and why) people mock other people that are seriously contemplating suicide.

The average individual does not differentiate a seriously claim from an attention seeking one, let alone tell from behaviour.

I've seen that play out before. A guy calling himself Candy Junkie (I think) had made regular threats online and people mostly made fun of him. He set up a webcam and chat and died while they watch, many of them making fun of him the whole time, and subsequently deleting their remarks after he was dead.

Most of what I have seen tends to have people that, despite their inexperience in the matter, will still call someone cowardly or weak, but never really know how to explain why. Simply deriding that person is all they do, and many time more than they realize, to the extent that the person they mock and ridicule eventually winds up dead.

 

[holy_secret]

I have seriously considered suicide, but not because I'm "depressed".

Let me try and explain: (These are all my own opinions. I am not trying to convince anyone else)

I am incredibly philosophical. I have already concluded that there is no God worth worshipping. If there is one he is not omnipotent as well as benevolent. I have considered what the world will be like in a century, and it is bleak. Mankind is only steering itself into oblivion.

What will I do with my life? Nothing important. Even if I became Primeminister, it wouldn't matter in the extreme long run. I could develop a cure for AIDs or cancer, but it wouldn't matter. Some of ailment would appear, possibly worse because of our overuse of medicines.

Basically, I have contemplated suicide because I don't see the point in living. Nothing particularly bad has happened to me, and I'm not depressed in the normal sense. I just don't see why I should suffer and drag myself through the natural span of my life, doing a pointless job simply to pay bills and keep wheels turning, only to die eventually.

If I don't get into university, and I don't find something else to apply myself to, I will probably kill myself, simply because I don't see why not...

Well, I guess I kinda worked it out. If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. Because that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today.

Do you understand what this means? The point in this text?
Using a philosophy and conclusion to make life meaningless only puts yourself in that part of hell on earth which you are in right now.
There are no absolutes. There is just today. How you chose to live today is completely up to you, but it really pisses me off that you see so little value in life.
Do you not understand how precious life is? What people would do to be able to have it?

People like you do not deserve to live. There are better people who would make better with a heart beat and a breath. But yet you do. You're alive, and I'm so happy to know that you are, having these dark thoughts in your head.

Stop taking life for granted.

PS: To answer the OP, I do not mock suicidal people. I do however like to remind them of their stupidity and try to get at least one point across. I would also have punched the person above me and then given him a hug. Maybe a kiss on the forehead as well.

 

[nomzy]

Well, if the person in question is a friend, or someone I'm sympathetic to then no, I won't mock them;
I'll be either supportive or just indifferent depending on the person. However if it's someone who's situation I am not sympathetic to or do not like that person for whatever reason then I'll most definitely mock them if I can be bothered to. I've seen some pretty stupid reasons for people wanting to commit suicide granted though those are the ones that generally won't do it. May as well get some lulz.

 

[Doive]

I have seriously considered suicide, but not because I'm "depressed".

Let me try and explain: (These are all my own opinions. I am not trying to convince anyone else)

I am incredibly philosophical. I have already concluded that there is no God worth worshipping. If there is one he is not omnipotent as well as benevolent. I have considered what the world will be like in a century, and it is bleak. Mankind is only steering itself into oblivion.

What will I do with my life? Nothing important. Even if I became Primeminister, it wouldn't matter in the extreme long run. I could develop a cure for AIDs or cancer, but it wouldn't matter. Some of ailment would appear, possibly worse because of our overuse of medicines.

Basically, I have contemplated suicide because I don't see the point in living. Nothing particularly bad has happened to me, and I'm not depressed in the normal sense. I just don't see why I should suffer and drag myself through the natural span of my life, doing a pointless job simply to pay bills and keep wheels turning, only to die eventually.

If I don't get into university, and I don't find something else to apply myself to, I will probably kill myself, simply because I don't see why not...

I fully understand the angle you are coming from here in terms of the eventual, inevitable futility of life. However, the issue I have with this is that the view "whatever happens doesn't matter in the long run" could just as easily be used to philosophically discuss away all kinds of atrocities.

At the end of the day we are, in simple terms of probability, lucky to be alive. To you I would say that life is what you make of it and, if university doesn't work out/is not for you then try to find something that you can enjoy in life, whatever that may be. People who view their life as "doing a pointless job simply to pay bills and keep wheels turning, only to die eventually" should do something about it if they really feel that way.