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Originally Posted by Tuna
I think this is a two-sided argument.
On one hand, it's selfish for the suicidal person to leave behind people who care about the person. On the other, it's kind of selfish for those who care to expect the person to stick around solely for their own benefit.
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I agree that requiring others to stay alive for *our* pleasure and to prevent *our* loneliness is somewhat selfish. If people say suicide is selfish, then they should at least recognize their own desires and expectations for the depressed person are partly selfish, too.
I feel each person has a right to decide her own fate. Suicide shouldn't be illegal, for example. Still, I'd intervene as best I could and try to stop a person from killing herself or himself, since I know frames of mind can shift for the better! It's an interesting question, though...when would you let a loved-one go? How much harm do you let a person do to himself before you try to intervene? It reminds me of the movie The Big Blue, in case you've watched that.
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Originally Posted by Goblin Tears
Labelling suicide as selfish is just lazy thinking. Every individual suicide has a multitude of reasons behind it, and when a society perpetuates an attitude of ''Sucide is selfish, mental illness is weird'', then yes, people who are depressed are going to think ''Why bother discussing my suicidal feelings with anyone? They'll either label me as ill or selfish''. Then the living wonder why victims of suicide didn't talk about it when they were alive.  |
Yes to everything you said, Goblin!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thrice
Same here, I have a family that relies on me to put food on the table. I have been dual diagnosed with manic depression/bipolar disorder and a substance abuse problem (depressants of all things). I lead an extremely risky life with no fear or remorse other than bringing hardship and pain upon the people that love me. No one had any idea, until I ended up in the looney bin 8 states away.
I have never cut myself or let anyone know how I felt until just recently because it has come to a point where I feel I cannot handle it alone. I am my own worst enemy. The last thing I want is sympathy/pity or people even knowing how I feel.
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Thrice, I have a loved-one who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and psychotic tendencies (delusions), and so I've seen what a devastating effect a mental disorder can have on someone's life and the lives of family members. So, I'm glad you are able to get help.
The person in my life kept the diagnosis secret for years...but this led to problems because I didn't recognize symptoms such as odd stories and life accounts for what they probably were: paranoia and skewed perceptions. If I'd known what was going on, I could have helped give feedback to the person to say whether I felt the medication was working or not...before it got to the stage where it wasn't working well enough.
When you say you are your own worst enemy, this reminds me of what I've imagined may be hardest when you have been diagnosed with a mental disorder: the feeling or fear that you can't trust yourself to perceive reality correctly or respond to situations in a prudent or carefully thought-out way. That must be frustrating to feel you are your own worst enemy.
On the issue of suicide: I've found that some people are hesitant to talk openly about suicide with people who are depressed, as if that would make them decide to kill themselves when the opposite is true. Many people who are depressed or diagnosed with bipolar disorder think about killing themselves. Being able to talk about that is supposed to be a good way to help prevent oneself from doing it. So, I'm glad you are at least talking here about what is going on in your life, Thrice, since it sounds like you have a lot to handle right now.