Suicide

[Gabriel]

Is it ever the answer? Ever wanted to do it?

 

[clucas91]

I feel like it after I fail a test or have about 20 school assignments at the same time!

 

[35eye]

I can empathise with people who have suicidal thoughts. Frightening stuff. One thing I can never understand is people who rant and rave about how selfish others are that choose to take their own lives.

 

[dogboy23]

Originally posted by 35eye
I can empathise with people who have suicidal thoughts. Frightening stuff. One thing I can never understand is people who rant and rave about how selfish others are that choose to take their own lives.

People who take there own lives disgust me.I can understand why people say its selfish because it IS!My sister has a terminal illness and doesnt get the choice of whether to live or not and theres tossers going around doing it to themselves.

 

[mantis]

Originally posted by 35eye
I can empathise with people who have suicidal thoughts. Frightening stuff. One thing I can never understand is people who rant and rave about how selfish others are that choose to take their own lives.

All situations are different, a person who has a terminal illness who uses suicide as a way to die with dignity & to end pain & suffering is totally different to a person, who in the prime of their life does it because they can't cope emotionally, or due to finance or love problems, to me that person is selfish, the pain, hurt & guilt that their friends & family suffer after their death is terrible & I think incredibly selfish.

 

[you_idiot]

While I was in college and majoring in theatre about 15 years ago (when I was young and stupid), I had a small role in an Anton Chekov play called "The Seagull". The lead male character commits suicide at the end of the play, to make a long story short, and while we were in pre-production, one of the members of our cast made the observation, "Suicide is a permanant solution to temporary problems". That is the best summary I have ever heard on the subject.

What he was saying was that there is nothing too serious to take your life over. There is a end to every set of means, no matter how painful it can be... and somewhat related to Mantis' description on the "totally selfish" angle of things.

Cheers,
William

 

[mantis]

Originally posted by you_idiot
"Suicide is a permanant solution to temporary problems".

WOW that is an exceptional quote & so true, if only the people who were hurting so much as to contemplate suicide, new that quote & had it burned into their memory.

 

[Squeak]

Get back to me after the footy.

 

[Bulldog1954]

I agree with Dogboy

 

[Sydneyfan]

I don't think that Suicide's ever the answer, it causes the people you leave behind in pain. Euthanasia in the form where you passed on to everyone that you're going to end your life/have you life ended and everyone close to you feels comfortable about is probably the only situation where suicide may be the 'answer'.

I've never seriously wanted to kill myself though in hard times I have contemplated it though I would never want to inflict that kind of pain on my loved ones. There were times in the past when I was depressed that I didn't care as much for myself but could never commit suicide because I knew it would tear my family apart.

I feel compassion for people and the families and friends of people who commit suicide. I believe that majority of the time they are not in a stable frame of mind to think rationally of their actions and get stuck in the pain of the moment. Depression is a major cause of suicide and chronically depressed people often aren't thinking rationally and don't think through the consequences. They are so stuck in the pain they are experiencing that they take the option of suicide to relieve their pain. I don't think most people who commit suicide are selfish or doing it out of revenge, I think it's just that they can't handle the pain any longer and unfortunately see suicide as their only release. The quote, you_idiot mentioned is very apt, Suicide being a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

I remember once hearing about the story of a successful guy who had won a University medal at uni for his outstanding academic achievements. The guy was giving a speech and proceeded to thank from the bottom of his heart his best mate he had known for several years since high school. The guy said how one day he was at the end of his teather, he was bullied at school, had a bad family life, and was heading home after school that day with the one aim to kill himself, he was utterly determined to do so. However, on his journey home, one guy (his now best mate) and a group of his friends, saw him looking down in the dumps, came up to him and asked if he wanted to hang out with them. The guy couldn't believe it since these people had never spoken to him before.

That one tiny contact with these other guys turned his life around 180 degrees, he agreed to hang out with them, they became good mates, his self-esteem rose remarkably and he excelled in his studies. The guy had never up until this speech mentioned anything of his intentions on that day, and his friends and family couldn't believe what they were hearing and how different things could have if it wasn't for that group of guys speaking to him on that day. Just goes to show how one small action can dramatically change someone's life. Also goes to show that if you see someone looking down, maybe just a word of G'Day could be enough to change that person's day or even their life!

 

[mantis]

Originally posted by Sydneyfan
Just goes to show how one small action can dramatically change someone's life. Also goes to show that if you see someone looking down, maybe just a word of G'Day could be enough to change that person's day or even their life!

Sometimes though the person doesn't want to acknowledge they have a problem & in doing so refuse help, even though someone close to them knows they are in pain & wants to help them, but they don't want to admit to the world that they have a problem & aren't in control of their life.

 

[FreoDocker]

I've never really thought about suicide, it's just not an option. You only get one chance at life and then thats it, nothing after that, so you may as well make the most of it while you can. I know a few people who have taken their own lives, two were my age and another was a mates dad, who lost his job and was having severe personal problems. He took his own life and left behind a wife and 3 kids. While alot of people say that it's selfish, it's also just completely sad that a person feels they have no other option than to pay the most ultimate penalty for the wrongs they think they have done in life. I know they leave behind the people they love and to that extent it can be seen as selfish, but I see it as one of the most sad things that can happen for everyone involved.

However in saying this I'm a big supporter of Euthanasia. Anyone who has seen a loved one suffer complete pain for months before their death will know what I mean. For someone to suffer lose their dignity and all enjoyment out of life due to the pain they are suffering is a horrible thing to have to see. I can see some people saying that people should get the most out of every second of life, but for those who's pain from a terminal illness is almost uncontrollable, it's almost selfish of us to want them to stay with us. People in that situation should be able to die with dignity and be surrounded by loved ones. It still makes me anfgry when I see right for life supporters on TV and I think to myself, how many of these people have actually been through this situation, how can they possibly know how it feels??

 

[Booze Hound]

Remember, although suicide may be a permanent cure for a temporary problem it may be that someone who attempts suicide sees the problem as permanent, or be so unhappy in their lives they do not wish to continue. I do not see that as selfish.

Nietzschke (I think) said "The most important decision a person makes every day is not to commit suicide."

I can relate to that.

Many years ago a friend committed suicide. He must have been about 14 at the time. His dad had died suddenly and, a month later the deed was done. I can't guess at this boys state of mind but I might suggest a deep unhappiness that excluded all other feelings. On reflection (and it's the first time I've thought about it in many years, I have a great sorrow that he felt that way but I cannot raise any criticism of him. I doubt there was intent to hurt anyone else. Maybe he saw no way, or reason, to live on and had nobody to explain otherwise.

 

[Sydneyfan]

Originally posted by mantis


Sometimes though the person doesn't want to acknowledge they have a problem & in doing so refuse help, even though someone close to them knows they are in pain & wants to help them, but they don't want to admit to the world that they have a problem & aren't in control of their life.

Yeah, that's the hard part. If someone doesn't admit they've got a problem and doesn't want to do anything to change their ways, things will get worse before they get better. I guess if you know someone who's feeling down or got a problem, you've just got to stick by them and remind that if they do change their mind and seek help/change their way, you'll be there, and hope that eventually they see the light.

They say the first step in dealing with a problem is to acknowledge you've got a problem and then take action, this is often the most difficult step but is a necessary step in order to overcome your problem.

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

pfft always but as the signature says
>>>>

 

[lioness]

I came amazingly close to dying (not self-inflicted or illness) about 10 years ago. Getting over the trauma of the particular situation should probably have just finished me off then and there, but I don't know, for me it was like getting SO close to dying anyways I knew I really didn't want that. I hardly talked for months, to anyone, just kept to myself and dealt with it. People have said endless times how strong I am, but it's more like, you know you can let it kill you or you can just hang in there and hopefully things will turn around. I can't say it's been a breeze, and there are still a few scars, but things could be worse.

 

[Squeak]

Originally posted by Squeak
Get back to me after the footy.

Geez I had no idea how prophetic that statement would be!

 

[mantis]

When I was a teenager I did come very seriously close to taking my life, but fortunately I not only had great friends, but also was too scared to go through with it.
To me life is precious now, so my childhood, teenage woes, were a test to see if I could survive it, fortunately I did but some people can't, so if you know someone who is hurting, take time out to talk to them & offer help.

 

[FIGJAM]

Originally posted by dogboy23
People who take there own lives disgust me.I can understand why people say its selfish because it IS!My sister has a terminal illness and doesnt get the choice of whether to live or not and theres tossers going around doing it to themselves.

C'mon mate, that is harsh. In fact, ironically, it is a fairly selfish view!

The quality comment in the thread of "a permanent solution to temporary problems" is a good one. It highlights perception!

Life is perception. You should count yourself lucky that you have never encountered a situation that you consider that vast, that you will never, ever be able to be "normal" again. And you should count yourself lucky that you have never had a chemical imbalacnce in your brain.

I work on the principle if things were that bad that I ever got suicidal , I would just pack up and p*ss off overseas (like a hobo or something!)! But that doesn't mean I can't understand that there are people out there that that wouldn't be an option for.

I fully sympathise with your sister's situation and wish her and your family the very best of luck!

 

[dogboy23]

Originally posted by FIGJAM

C'mon mate, that is harsh. In fact, ironically, it is a fairly selfish view!

The quality comment in the thread of "a permanent solution to temporary problems" is a good one. It highlights perception!

Life is perception. You should count yourself lucky that you have never encountered a situation that you consider that vast, that you will never, ever be able to be "normal" again. And you should count yourself lucky that you have never had a chemical imbalacnce in your brain.

I work on the principle if things were that bad that I ever got suicidal , I would just pack up and p*ss off overseas (like a hobo or something!)! But that doesn't mean I can't understand that there are people out there that that wouldn't be an option for.

I fully sympathise with your sister's situation and wish her and your family the very best of luck!

Mate I am not hear sooking but myself and my family have not exactly had an easy or enjoyable life(especially the rest of my family mine is very easy in comparison) so I cannot see how anyone can justify taking there own life.I have seen some ****ed up **** and still cant see how anyone could do it.Just my opinion but I feel I have seen enough despite my young age to form a fairly strong case on this matter.

 

[mantis]

dogboy

They do it because they can't see anyway out of their problems or depression, I have just had to live through someone close to me committing suicide, You are young & looking through a simplistic view, once you are older & had a lot of pressures in your life, you will see how you can contemplate taking your own life, fortunatley most people don't go through with it.

 

[mantis]

One thing I will say now, if anyone feels desperate enough to want to end their life, please talk to someone, don't feel you are weak because you are asking for help, the people who love you will help you out.

 

[FIGJAM]

Spot on Mantis!

Dogboy, I don't pretend to understand your situation. That you and everyone around you are strong enough to hold a reasonably positive outlook is great!

It is just some people (even some in seemingly "easier" situations than your own) find that they are in a hole that they can't get out of mentally!

As Mantis said, getting someone else's perspective is very important, if you ever feel this way. Some people don't. Some people end their own lives.

 

[dr nick]

i know someone who killed themselves after they finished the year 12 exams, i think that is beyond selfish. some people need to step back and look at people in other countries, who rely on catching rats in the sewers for food, and those being persecuted by the taliban. its very ironic how australia, one of the best off countries anywhere has the highest youth suicide rate. why?? i believe we are too insular, and a lot of kids dont appreciate what some other people in the world have to endure.

 

[Destructive]

Once you've committed suicide you can't take it back. People who do it reckon there is no other alternative, that life is too bad, it is very sad when that happens. I have thought about it many times, but I could never do it.