Suicide Rant

[susandennis]

I kept seeing all this 'here's how to help' stuff on Twitter this morning and finally someone posted that it was Suicide Prevention Day.

This entry is for the rest of us.

It pisses me off no end for the world to assume everyone who plans to take their own life is in need of help.

It's my life. If I want to end it, it's my choice. And my right to do so.

I do not need anyone's 'help' with that choice any more than I need help with any other choice. If I do need help, I'll ask. For the record, if I ever decide to end my life, it will be a thorough, thoughtful decision and all the 'help' I need and want will be to respect that decision.

Comments

[yesthatjill.livejournal.com]

Thank you for thoughtfully making this clear.

[adminbear.livejournal.com]

I agree with you completely. If I decided that I needed to take my own life, I sure won't need anyone's advice about doing it or someone to talk me out of it. It's *MY* choice, not theirs.

[matrixmann]

If that so-called "help" ever was really useful at all and tried to rip out the root of that wish - and not was nearly always just wishy-washy talk about "how valuable life actually is" and how you should "stop regarding all things with your negative view", replacing it with a "positive look on life"...

[galebird.livejournal.com]

I am in a weird place on this.

I believe that someone who is firmly, cognitively able to clearly make their own decisions on the matter can and should be allowed to do so. My grandmother chose her end of life and while that was not via assisted/facilitated suicide or any other kind it was a very stark, sobering and firm lesson on how important that decision being respected is.

Then, there's people like me who have been in a place where coherent, wise decisions were not in any way possible. All vision was clouded, all perception was completely impaired. I was a 20 year old and later a 30-something with no concept of the reality around me only the hellscape my sick brain was painting for me. I needed medication, care and therapy not death. I'm mentally ill, seriously so I now understand, and at that time I was not of sound mind or judgement. I needed people to see that and to help me. The first time, 3 friends saved my life. The second time, I honestly think it was dumb luck I caught a single second that allowed me to make the right phone call. Either way, obviously I am still kicking.

My point is probably seriously blurred but I agree with you *and* I think people need to be aware of how to identify someone who is in crisis and actually in need of intervention versus someone who has obviously thought this out, made their plans for how their life will go and are of clear mind and judgement. It may seem hard to discern that line but man it feels like a very stark line to me.

[susandennis]

we will have to disagree. personal choice and one's freedom to exercise personal choice must be factored in. it's not fair not to.

[songbirds.livejournal.com]

I don't think they're trying to make the choice for you. I think they're trying to show you that there are more choices, some that you may not be able to see on your own.

You're always free to make your choice. Nobody can take that away from you by offering more choices.

[nomorenumbers.livejournal.com]

I've always had an issue with people referring to suicide as "cowardly" or "taking the easy way out". The instinct for survival is powerful, and overcoming that instinct to make a choice that goes against all social logic while your body screams at you to stop takes serious effort. I have been on the brink many times but I was always too afraid to do anything.

[howeird]

For about 5 years my commute home took me across a railroad crossing which saw one high school student a day throwing themselves in front of a train. It was a main route home from very intensive, high-pressure Palo Alto High School. It mostly happened around finals weeks.

A friend works those suicide prevention lines. He says they help. I'm okay with the annoying PSAs if it means less blood on the tracks, and fewer people having their commute home delayed by a couple of hours.

A friend jumped off the Aurora Bridge. There were no phone numbers like that in 1970. It might have helped.

You don't need the help, I get it. But others do.

[terri gordon (from livejournal.com)]

I wrote a comment and then deleted it. I completely agree with you Susan, and I will leave it at that.
My deleted comment had me getting on my soapbox and getting pretty extreme. I will just keep it short and sweet.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

So right. Ray and I have carefully thought out, well planned exit plans, just in case.

[mrbosski.livejournal.com]

That's why this world is kinda strange right now. We're kinda free yet we're limited in our actions at the same time.