Re: Your thoughts on suicide... Tragedy or Selfish?
It's self interest (not selfish), insofar as the person would most likely be unable to see past their own suffering, otherwise the motivation for committing suicide would probably not be so strong. I think it is heartless to judge anyone who is suffering so much as 'selfish'.
I remember a time about a year ago when I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and seriously contemplating suicide. Coincidentally it was when I was doing the HSC and needing very high marks, though there was much more to it than this. So many things just wore me down to the point where death seemed like the only possible relief, so peaceful... God only knows how I survived.
Anyway, it seemed pointless at the time to seek help. I didn't believe anyone would understand, or worse, they would just laugh. In any case, the depth of it is hard to put into words, and the last thing I wanted to do was talk about it, though in another way, I was desperate to release the pressure boiling up inside my mind. Argh... so confusing.
Ah, but I digress. There have been some good posts here, and I'm glad that most people have shown sympathy.
townie said:
there is such a stigma assosciated with depression in this world, it's sad. we should be free to share our deepest and scariest feelings with the world and not be told we're wrong or stupid or idiotic.
This cannot be stressed enough. The emphasis placed on image nowadays, and particularly 'only that which is pleasant', is sickening. It only makes it worse for anyone with deep and dark emotions, as few people would even acknowledge that they exist, let alone discuss them.
Serius said:
I think of it this way, anyone who kills themselves is not in their right mind so doesnt know they are making a mistake, i go by the assumption that if they were a happy healthy individual they would not end their life, therefore if they think suicide is a good idea they need some serious help.
Their motivations behind suicide are often quite selfish, I am not sure if we should just excuse this behaviour as another symptom of depression or assume the person was not in their right mind AND selfish...
It is possible to make a rational and well thought-out decision to commit suicide, though the final impetus to act may come during a very emotional moment. e.g. If life is too painful to bear, and there is no conceivable way of escaping the pain, then death brings the desired relief. As you can see, the prerequisite for this line of thought is intolerable pain/suffering, which can happen to healthy people who are thinking straight. It's just that some people might be able to see an alternative to death, whereas others can't.