Suicide

[Death's Head]

Does it take more guts to evade such an act, or to actually commit it?

[Mecha Cow]

This will end well. Might I inquire why you're asking?

[Katie]

hmm

I know something about this, having recently had my own experiences and I will tell you that at that point all I wanted was out. PERIOD. I didn't have any other thoughts. I wasn't afraid...I wasn't thinking about anything other than how much better things would be without me here. In short, I felt like the world was trying to cast me out of it and why should I want to do anything but oblige.


now, my uncle did kill himself the year I was born. Again, his situation was one of perceived hopelessness and I doubt he was afraid of doing it.


The REAL thing is recovery....going to talk to people about it and realizing that nothing good comes from those thoughts and actions. I have since learned that I was suffering a deep depression after my run in with my neighbor and all the financial stresses of that year. It had nothing to do with anything other than I felt hopeless and very very alone.

I know that things will be ok now. I've had alot of help. I'm glad I was unsuccessful in my actions.

[Death's Head]

This will end well. Might I inquire why you're asking?

It's not what you think. I got the concept from an argument between two fictional characters. It's an interesting question that has been vexxing my mind all day, and I just wish to know what others think.

[jeff the cheff]

This will end well. Might I inquire why you're asking?


It seems like he wants to set the Technodrome record for most threads started. :lol:

[Sewer Bull]

It seems like he wants to set the Technodrome record for most threads started. :lol:

Damn, you beat me to saying that.

[iris]

Suicide usually has very little to do with courage, and very much to do with hope.

I am very glad you pulled through, Katie. :(

The brother of one of my very good friends just killed himself last week. People are so afraid to talk about these things, though.

btw, for anyone, this is a good page: http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

[jeff the cheff]

I checked and so far he has started 23 threads started. He has posted 69 posts. So 1/3 of his posts are starting a thread.

I don't think it has to do with having the guts to go through with living or killing yourself though.

[Death's Head]

I believe this is off-topic. But why are my intentions such an issue?

[Katie]

I don't think anyone is bashing you, it's just an alarming thing to see someone asking about suicide. It's one of those taboo things you don't talk about (which I think is stupid because if I had had talked about how I felt before i got to that point, then I may never have attempted it)

it makes for an important conversation, I think.

[Spider]

The only suicidal thoughts I had was to take out as many people (including several members of my own family) before the police arrived on the scene. I would then put a bullet (or a knife...how it was in the fantasy) through my brain before they tore me to shreds with a hail of gunfire. Might I add that during this time in my life I was very deperessed and/or insane, that's what the school board of Maryland thought anyway.

Most people speculate that suicide has something to do with victims wanting others to take pity on them or for attention. There's nothing courageous about suicide...it just means that life beat you.

[Katie]

I think that if someone says they are going to do it just for a reaction, that is one thing......but a real attempt has nothing to do with attention seeking. I had plenty of people encouraging me in my recovery and a FABULOUS boyfriend who was right there for me (still is :D ) That was BEFORE I thought to do it.

I just felt like things would be better if I was gone. period...no thoughts about how it would affect other people...nor did I care what they thought of me at that point.

[Mr. Snackpants]

The only suicidal thoughts I had was to take out as many people (including several members of my own family) before the police arrived on the scene. I would then put a bullet (or a knife...how it was in the fantasy) through my brain before they tore me to shreds with a hail of gunfire. Might I add that during this time in my life I was very deperessed and/or insane, that's what the school board of Maryland thought anyway.

Most people speculate that suicide has something to do with victims wanting others to take pity on them or for attention. There's nothing courageous about suicide...it just means that life beat you.

:| ........

[Spider]

I just felt like things would be better if I was gone. period...no thoughts about how it would affect other people...nor did I care what they thought of me at that point.

I felt the same way. Just this whole feeling of not wanting to "be" anymore. I felt somehow my existance didn't really matter to me. I also felt other people didn't need to "be" as well. :evilgrin:

And no, my above statement wasn't posted for shock value.

[iris]

I think the belief that 'things would be better without me' is very common among suicidal people. That was the first kind of justification I thought of, and that was before age 10. :ohwell:

[Mecha Cow]

I felt the same way. Just this whole feeling of not wanting to "be" anymore. I felt somehow my existance didn't really matter to me. I also felt other people didn't need to "be" as well.
I think we call these people terrorists.

[Barkworm]

I used to phantasize about suicide pretty often (like every day) but I always came to the conclusion that it's cowardly and irresponsible to your family.

[愛]

Suicide is letting life win. Life can be quite a bitch.....most of the time. Just gotta find a hobby or interest to take away the pain for a while. Happiness comes in short doses. It takes quite the courage to end your life. It takes more courage to fight the odds.

[Spider]

I think we call these people terrorists.
Or possibly homicidal. Terrorist usually seem to have a motive.

[Jo Dawn]

I think it takes more courage to not do it. Suicide is a cowards way out, not wanting to deal with tough things. (And yes... I know people who have committed suicide). Granted, many of these people are sick. You have to be.

Not doing it; choosing life and facing the hardships and overcoming them, is the real strength.

[That Matt Guy]

I don't know, putting that shotgun barrel in your mouth does take a lot of guts. Suicide by cop on the other hand, that's a coward's way out.

[iris]

I think it takes more courage to not do it. Suicide is a cowards way out, not wanting to deal with tough things. (And yes... I know people who have committed suicide). Granted, many of these people are sick. You have to be.

Eh... You just have to be in a dark place, so deep in your pain that you have lost the normal perspective that tells you you're not alone and that you are still capable of feeling joy. Yeah, in some cases you can pin it on a mental imbalance or fear, but honestly this happens to regular down-to-earth people all the time. It happens to soldiers who feel like their presence is weakening the unit. It happens to younger people more because they simply don't have the experience to keep their perspective in the face of the things life throws at you.

I wouldn't say that my own survival is a testament to my strength of character. I've just been... very fortunate.

[Jo Dawn]

Eh... You just have to be in a dark place, so deep in your pain that you have lost the normal perspective that tells you you're not alone and that you are still capable of feeling joy. Yeah, in some cases you can pin it on a mental imbalance or fear, but honestly this happens to regular down-to-earth people all the time.

Well, yes. That's what I said.

Trust me, I've BEEN in horribly dark places. And I know it happens to happy, regular people. The people I knew that did this were never depressed (out loud) never had a problem. It was a rash, stupid decision on their part. And everyone else paid for it.

But it's almost always a 'mental imbalance' because their seratonin levels have dipped so low, they're not thinking straight. It doesn't have to be a recurring metal imbalance. It can be brief as all get out, but it's still an imbalance.

It's late, I'm not sure I'm explaining this correctly. However... I will say I stand by my initial statement, that it takes more courage to live life than to end it. To think of others above themselves.

[iris]

I'm not really disagreeing with you, Jo... it's just more complicated to me. When you think your loved ones really would be better off without you, you are thinking of others above yourself. Even if it's a twisted reality you see.

[KROW]

Well, this certainly is some morbid stuff to read with my morning Cheerios...

In my view, it takes more courage to keep on living. Quite frankly, I don't get how suicide could mean that life defeated you. I mean, you're welcoming death prematurely, so wouldn't that mean that death beat you? Hell, if you want some peace in your life, take a nap.

Bah, I don't know.

[Spider]

Let us not forget that the late Hunter Thompson committed suicide due to a liver disease. I figure if you're diagnosed with some form of terminal illness and you're about to spend the last few years of your life in agonizing pain then suicide could be considered as an option. Otherwise...just live out your problems.

[Kid A]

I think to adjudge such an action is something that no one has the right to. It sure is a sad thing if someone kills himself. But I think we should also think about this: if we live in a society that aspires for a preferably free and self-determinated mankind, we should also accept that it is part of your self-determination to end your life at the point you decide. It is one of the most personal things and shouldn't be rated in anyway. No matter if it's inner weakness or strenght, it definitely is a tragedy and in most cases I think we can't even guess what finally lead to the decision. And that should be respected. Personally I think it is high respectless to anatomise the psyche of a anybody who committed suicide. Well ..just my two cents.

[Ra]

The only suicide I find acceptable is when one is in so much pain that they want it all to end now, and not have it ongoing for months on end. Otherwise, suicide is pretty cowardly. You shouldn't go down that path, and avoid it at all costs. It's dangerous, dark, and attempts at taking your own life will only make things worse.

I know I once sunk into an emo stage when I had no friends at all, and for weeks I didn't know what to do. Girls were pointing and laughing at me, guys were avoiding me, and my so called "friends" were going out into the school yard, giving me a bad name. In my darkest hour of my life, I went into an "I give up" stage, and tried strangling myself or cutting my wrists with a butter knife. I actually succeded drawing blood after five minutes of hacking at my wrist, if anyone is curious. But to take my own life? I just couldn't do it. Even after all of the attempts that I had made, my mom managed to find me right before things got ugly and tried to snap me out of it. Without her help, I probably would have succeded into hanging myself, or giving myself some nasty marks on my throat.

But I realized three weeks later, mid-way through trying to cut off my wind pipe to my lungs with a bath robe tie, that I just had to accept it. After all, life's challenges are the ones that knock you flat on your back. Giving up on it all and killing yourself is an easy option. However, the true challenge is to wing out life's obsticals and try to make it until you naturally die.

One week later, I made friends with one kid, while all life went on as it had done during my emo stage. But this time I couldn't care less. I simply brushed it off, and turned whatever sorrow I had into anger, and vented my anger out in healthy doses by trying to kick and punch the air 100 times a day after school. Three or four years later, here I am, a very healthy person who you wouldn't think was such an sucidal emo a few years back.

The point of that shameful story of mine is this - there is no such thing as quiting. You can do it, but you'll probably never get to live this life again. So just live it up. Don't pick up that gun or knife or whatever. You'll be able to pick yourself up again and continue with life as if it will never end. Suicide is the weak option and the coward's way out. If you kill yourself, you may not feel pain again. But will you feel any happier? Will you be able to live life as you once did? To speak? To run? To laugh and to cry? To dream? To fear? To hope and wish for whatever you want? I'm not to sure, but I like to live every minute as if it will be my last.

[Rooish]

I'm really happy that you're still around, guys. :)

I personally wouldn't say suicide is cowardly. That viewpoint just... sh**s on people's emotional pain. There were times, back when I had depression (and it wasn't even that bad depression--a lot of my friends have had it way worse, so I'm not just defending myself here), that the only reason I didn't try to kill myself was because I knew it would hurt my parents and friends if I did. But I felt useless, like I was doing more harm than good being alive. My depression made me jealous and possessive and manipulative with my friends; I would take offense to everything. I felt like a completely worthless being, too pathetic to live alongside mentally healthy people. I felt that I was hurting others by being around, not just because I was so caustic, but also because no one wants to know a person who is so worthless and pathetic.

It would have been selfish of me to kill myself, but I also feel that, in a way, it is selfish of friends and family to expect a person to live when he/she just wants to die. We all want our loved ones to be happy, but we also want, selfishly, for our loved ones to stay with us, even when they want to go. I never want anyone I love to commit suicide. I would do anything to prevent a friend from doing so. But if he/she did commit suicide, I would respect his/her choice. The pain was too great. It's my friend's life, and I cannot expect my friend to live for my sake.

Perhaps suicide is "lazy" (if you don't try to "get better" first; granted, people may have years of therapy and be on antidepressants and still want to die), but I don't think it is cowardly. Even when I wanted to die, I was terrified of death, of never seeing my loved ones again, of the universe ending for me (I am an atheist and believe that, when I die, there will be nothing after). Death may be the end of pain, but it is also the end of life and consciousness and any moments of beauty or happiness (in my opinion). For some people, however, death is just the only choice--especially if no treatments for depression or illness or whatnot are working--and I respect that.

I wish they would cure depression. As for people who want to die because they have a debilitating disease that won't get better and is painful, I'm all for suicide (assisted or not). But I also wish that people who really want to die could do so in a way that wasn't long and painful (taking pills, cutting wrists), or extremely gorey and traumatising to clean up (shooting yourself), or dangerous to others (carbon monoxide, jumping into traffic).

Whatever.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Suicide is letting life win. Life can be quite a bitch.....most of the time. Just gotta find a hobby or interest to take away the pain for a while. Happiness comes in short doses. It takes quite the courage to end your life. It takes more courage to fight the odds.

Probably put better than I could have.

I don't try to think of suicide as a "coward's way out" because I'm sure for a lot of people that do it they were in a very messed up mindset where they probably didn't know any better.

Personally, as someone that was raised Catholic I don't think I would ever bring myself to be able to do it, no matter how depressed I possibly get just because of the idea that it is a major sin(the same as breaking the you shall not murder commandment). Although I'd like to think that if there is a God He'd be as merciful as people say and understand that some people were unable to help themselves. Don't want to get into a theological debate (too many of those on the Internet as it is), but it does factor into my personal beliefs on suicide.