Do you agree that this forum is helping many to RECOVER, by allowing open communication on this subject?

[Praying 4 a Miracle]

It's no secret that (worldwide), many in society seem very uncomfortable with the open discussion of this subject. It seems to me that censoring it, and preventing people from openly communicating will only make the problem much worse.

When prohibition of alcohol was enforced years ago, did it stop people from drinking? It just drove the problem underground. Bootlegging began, causing dangerous manufacturing processes, which resulted in unpredictable and tragic health consequences. If prohibition was a good solution, we would still be using it today.

Banning or censoring free speech (online or anywhere else) will only drive the conversations underground, where the efforts for encouraging recovery will most likely NOT be taking place.

It's understandable that so many in society feel uncomfortable discussing the subject of death and suffering, but the result of allowing these conversations IMO, is that people feel supported and understood.

By allowing citizens around the world to build a community of people who understand what each other is going through, it dramatically reduces the amount of anxiety for those who are suffering intensely. This will result in a DECREASE in suicide rates around the world, NOT an increase.

Stigmatizing the entire subject is obviously not working, as suicide is currently the number one cause of death WORLDWIDE for people under 35. Also number one for MEN under 50 (even eclipsing auto accidents!). By limiting access to safe, medical assistance in dying programs, this forces many who are suffering intolerably to resort to dangerous and painful unassisted methods, where the chances of further disability and suffering are extremely high.

If people know they have access to a safe and peaceful way of relieving their intense pain, if absolutely necessary, then this dramatically reduces anxiety levels and improves overall mental health. When you combine assisted and unassisted methods, this will result in FEWER people committing suicide overall.

Those citizens suffering strictly from poverty, should be supported by programs such as disability benefits, universal basic income, and assistance in finding employment. This would prevent those suffering from poverty and disabilities from being motivated to choose assisted dying for financial reasons. IMO, if you take all financial reasons off the table, NO ONE is going to want to prematurely end their life, unless they are truly suffering intolerably, with no other possible solutions available to solve the problem(s). Then EVERY adult can make this extremely important decision for themselves.

Obviously, the ultimate objective should ALWAYS be recovery, and that is why this open discussion forum is so important. What people in the mainstream media (and healthy/happy individuals) should be learning from this forum, is that there are a LOT of people who feel they have no way of escaping their pain in this life, without resorting to the various painful and dangerous methods that are often discussed.

By also offering many recovery and mental health support resources, along with encouraging and moderating a respectful environment for open communication and community, it's undeniable that this forum is saving many.

 

[whywere]

100% YES.

The one of the worst things that humans can do to themselves and each other is to sweep (ignore) issues under the rug.

This site lets folks hang loose and let their feelings and thoughts out and in turn that gets folks talking and involved and that helps.

That is like folks who want this site shut down, they unfortunately have a knee jerk reaction when the word suicide comes up, and they never look long term.

Like myself as an example, I have a community that I care deeply about and in turn I get so much love and energy from all the folks here that it makes each and every chronic pain filled day tolerable.

Wishing everyone here lots of well wishes, hugs, love and a fantastic weekend.

Walter

 

[sancta-simplicitas]

I second.

I do think that many people here - I know that's true for me personally - have experienced being able to freely vent about their thoughts around suicide and death for the first time in their lives. On top of that, the response often provided here is uniquely supportive; people often truly care, empathizes and/or relates. That is a powerful experience, that very well could make someone feel better. Either temporary or on longer term. Trying to discuss these things in other rooms - be it with friends/family, professionals, helplines or other communities always have backlash. Either you're invalidated and get told seven billion arguments against your own feelings, or you risk hurting someone, or you risk being hurt by having the police called to drag you to involuntary confinement, or people are just callous and tell you to get a hobby and throw a number to a helpline in your face.

How are people supposed to be able to recover from something that they're in practice not allowed to freely talk about? Afaik that's pretty much how you recover. Venting, connecting, ruminating, getting comfort and support. It's the most human thing there is and it's absurd that suicidal people so often are bereft of that possibility, because people seem to think that we're ticking bombs that could go off at any second.

SaSu saves lives. Either by giving people a safe space to be able to safetly end them or because a sense of community, comfort and being heard makes people want to stick around.

 

[bitofftoomuch]

Personally it has not helped me. There's a lot of hopeless negativity on this forum and every time I visit I feel intense self-loathing for willingly subjecting myself to it.

I wish somewhere was a middle ground, where pessimistic rambling is discouraged but you can still say how you feel without getting locked up for it.

What people really need is love and frankly money. this site isn't really providing either.

 

[notwhereIbelong]

It's the reason why I'm still here. It's the only place where people understand what I've been through and what I feel. Even in other mental health/disorder forums, suicide is still a touchy topic, and often you're not supposed to talk about it at all. Not even going to talk about real life, mentioning it gets an even worse reaction.

I'm glad I have this little corner.

 

[TransilvanianHunger]

This place is odd. I completely agree that discussions regarding mental health, and particularly suicide, should not be suppressed. I understand why people are generally scared shitless of the subject, but pretending like it's not a thing helps no one. The only thing it does, is further isolate those who are dealing with suicidal thoughts. The only effective way of preventing suicide is addressing the issues that make people suicidal.

At the same time, I feel like this forum gives back what you put into it. If you come here looking for someone who will listen, and who will encourage to keep going, you will find that. Conversely, if you come here seeking confirmation of your beliefs that everything is fucked and the only reasonable response is to kill yourself, you will also find that. The forum, in itself, is neither good nor bad. The people who recover after being here do so, I think, because they came here looking for a way to recover. There are also those who come here looking for voices who tell them that there is no point in doing anything, that the world is against them, and that they'd be better off dead.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

Yes.

In my case, finding SS when I was at rock bottom, desperate and alone with unsolvable problems probably saved me. Alone the fact that I didn't have to hear/read toxic positivity helped. People here understand suffering of all kind of problems. I wouldn't want to miss the community.