Venting [Article] Why CTB prevention rhetoric is insidious rather than innocuous due to the harm it causes for the recipient!

[TAW122]

Many of us throughout our lives, especially growing up have seen the ever-growing and increasing CTB or suicide prevention rhetoric, PSA, and much content throughout our lives that we are numb, sick, and/or really irritated by such spiel! This article (as well as vent) is going to address why such rhetoric and programming is not innocuous, but rather insidious, as it reinforces and infantilizes the recipient (person being preached, lectured, or otherwise talked down, condescended towards). This is especially true even in cases where such rhetoric is unsolicited or even wrongfully (and falsely) given whether it is a mistake, misunderstanding, or false pretense towards the recipient.

Furthermore, it certainly doesn't help that psychiatry and psychotherapy along with the paternalistic nature of CTB prevention itself has on the person and it's fields. No other field (barring perhaps legal and pertaining to law and authority) has anything that is considered really potentially infringing (interference with one's negative liberty rights) as that of psychiatry, psychotherapy, the State, and the law. Therefore, CTB prevention itself, especially given that it is done often on unfalsifiable grounds and little due process (act first, ask later) catch-22's and more, but I digress. So with something so paternalistic and restrictive, it by default already makes it far from being 'innocuous' and very paternalistic, tyrannical, especially for those who have done no (substantial, real) harm (emotional damage isn't a valid reason to infringe on other's civil liberties because that would also imply that no one can make ANY decision that could have any negative consequence to ANY party, which in reality would be considered absurd, unrealistic, and insane).

Disclaimer: While I am an atheist, I have experienced and learned about the 'Christian' (an Abrahamic) religion because I had grown up and lived with people who were 'religious', thus I know a lot about it despite being an atheist myself. I am merely using the argument (not because I agree nor endorse it but) because it illustrates the gripe and notion that I have with such rhetoric. I am writing this for informative and educational purposes.

So now imagine that someone is a theist (who believes in Christianity) and tells others "You need God! You need to pray harder! You must do (xyz related to religion)" (or any similar phrases and statements) not limited to, and including those who don't share the same beliefs (Christianity), or even those who are also non-believers themselves. Of course, society would lose their minds, and almost certainly socially shame the 'religious' people who push their religions on other believers (of different religions) or even non-believers! Society (at least in the modern world, where it is mostly secular, notwithstanding various enclaves or certain regions, or parts of the world) would certainly see those who preach and push those values or proselytize one's own religion onto unwilling participants or groups or individuals as being insidious, and thus CTB prevention rhetoric itself is far from innocuous and rather insidious while hiding under the guise of benevolence!

This religion analogy shows how CTB prevention rhetoric is really insidious because historically and even in the modern world, the religious people use religion in a similar manner! In conclusion, whenever a pro-lifer or anti-choicer (even if they falsely identifies or mistaken the situation) tells someone of CTB prevention even if done so without any context, pretext, or anything, it is certainly harmful due to the risks (up to and including unwanted paternalism, detainment under the guise of help) for the person, it is not innocuous, but rather insidious and malignant towards the person they are claiming to help. This is true even if the person isn't planning on CTB or had any CTB ideation. Therefore, there is harm to a person's (the recipient's) reputation for having such measures and the way the recipient is treated afterwards. It is also an scarlet letter, brand, mark, blackmark, on the person's character (similar to how certain labels or status on a person affects how others treat said individual).

Edit: I changed the title to make my article clearer.

 

[Matchaaa]

I think what you wrote is really clear and well put together.
Even though I don't see much public messaging about suicide prevention in my daily life, I've come across a lot of stories online and I get what you're trying to say.
I also feel like a lot of the current measures aren't really about improving people's situations or reducing their suffering. Instead, they sometimes just involve detaining people and leaving them to deal with even more pain, which can actually make the stigma worse.

 

[Unsure and Useless]

I love the way you wrote this! It's very eloquent and succinct

Plus, I like the way you pointed out the consequences of being "exposed" as someone with CTB ideation, regardless of whether it's true or not

I would say that these pro-life people are cruel in this way. Even if they have good intentions, they are essentially robbing that person of their agency because, following being exposed, these people will no longer be able to do things for themselves, and this opens the door to a lot of people being abused by others under the guise of "knowing what's best for them". Their ignorance—or worse, their blatant disregard—of this possibility shows just how much this paternalistic rhetoric of CTB—and not even just CTB itself since these beliefs bleed over to those with depression, anxiety, and neurodivergence—deprived from those who, frankly, are rightly justified to feel what they do

In a sense, being "branded" as someone who wants to CTB is like being depicted as a criminal. No one will want to associate with you; your rights are stripped away from you or significantly diminished; and you won't even be able to support yourself afterwards, among other things. Even the cycle is the same. Those who are exposed as wanting to CTB will have no choice but to CTB again because no one will give them a chance, similar to how prisoners often go back to prison because they don't have any opportunities to reintegrate into society

 

[TAW122]

@Matchaaa I agree and thanks for your compliments. As for public messaging, I suppose it depends on where it is, the setting, and what not. I have seen suicide prevention billboards when I drive through various places and it is infuriating and insidious but I try not to react to it for obvious reasons (don't want to draw attention to myself or anything). You are also on point about how current measures are not about improving people's situations or reducing their suffering, just detaining people and violating their civil liberties in the name of 'help' or preventing (the act of, or attempt of) suicide. It definitely does make people worse off, less inclined to ever come out or have any interest in being honest and having to 'lie' about their situation to avoid further suffering.

@Unsure and Useless Thank you and yes, I see that IRL as well as on the Internet (various forms or so, especially on Internet forums and subforums, whenever someone asks a question that may hint at potential suicide planning or ideation, these 'unsolicited' pro-lifers immediately come out of the woodwork and start proselytizing and pushing suicide prevention platitudes, rhetoric as if they were being 'helpful' but at best, it's condescending and degrading, while at worst, having the label or suspicion of suicidality regardless of whether substantiated or not, is a blackmark and a metaphorical target on said person's back). So as a result if someone who wasn't thinking of suicide or wasn't suicidal before, and gets that kind of unwanted, unwarranted treatment, they themselves might just have new issues, trust issues, and various other issues that wouldn't have happened to begin with. Also yes, the whole label and brand of potentially suicidal (whether true or not) is indeed akin to that of being a 'suspected criminal' despite no actual (real) crime has been committed. Your example about convicts is actually on point and very true, hence the recidivism rate for repeat offenders is high, but I digress... Another example is how when someone is cancelled (for any reason) in society, their reputation, standing, and how they are treated by other people suffers as a result, which (of course) results in more suicidality. So until society gets better (not likely anytime soon and is a complex matter that doesn't really get discussed enough for various reasons), people will continue to hide their (true) intentions and suffer in silence until they attempt or are pushed towards actually attempting to CTB.