Discussion If suicide wasn't taboo there might be more peaceful options

[Lost Magic]

The reason why people don't talk about suicide in the mainstream so much is because they are afraid. They are afraid of their mortality, afraid that other people will judge them and afraid that most methods are violent. They think of those movies of people hanging from a loft with the dreaded horror music in the background with the close up of the deceased's contorted face. Even in that comedy Beetlejuice (which is funny) presents death as a terribly sad thing. We are bombarded all the time with the ideas of dying and death as being something unnatural that could be prevented or should not be spoken about at all.

What if death was as easy as walking into a Sarco unit or having your end of life drugs dispensed from a local pharmacy to take at the time of your choosing? I guarantee more people would be opening up about the subject in a more positive light. The presentation of death through the lens of governments, religious zealots and the movies have made dying something to be feared and hated. It should be celebrated as the liberation of suffering for which it is. We just need access to more peaceful methods that doesn't require the authorisation of loads of doctors, paying vast sums of money, and flying to a foreign country to achieve a reliable and peaceful death. We all deserve to die with dignity. Thoughts?

 

[surface2007]

The hardest thing about the death-related omerta is that many people who are sick (physical mind) still have to leave completely paranoid, in fear of not getting there often raped or hidden. As you say, death is not an annodine thing and would deserve a care, a device can be emotional for people and the close family result everyone is traumatized. I think back to the movie Soylent Green which is a dystopia but I find the way to treat death less dystopian than the current one in our world.
"raped" is an error of translate i would mind "violent"

 

[FuneralCry]

I believe that suicide should not be so stigmatised, we all deserve the option of a peaceful exit at a time of our own choosing. None of us asked to exist in the first place and it is cruel to expect people to suffer for decades against their wishes. Our right to die should always be respected. We will all die eventually one day and life is very pointless after all, so to me there is nothing wrong with someone deciding to exit at a time of their own choosing. It is their life and their decision.

 

[Klo]

The sarco pods cannot come fast enough for me, but they still require 3d printing and an authorization code which are major barriers. The stigma of suicide forces people into situations where self violence is necessary when it really doesn't have to be that way.

 

[Al Cappella]

It's coming. It'll take longer if you're in a country that's still in the grip of religion…

 

[Journeytoletgo]

It's coming. It'll take longer if you're in a country that's still in the grip of religion…

How long do you think until it's permitted ?

 

[Al Cappella]

How long do you think until it's permitted ?

There's no way to know, of course, as it depends entirely on your country. But I'll mention mine (Canada) where the first iteration of assisted suicide—the kind where you A) had to be facing immanent death and B) be of mind sound enough to make the decision unaided—was made law in 2016. In 2021 it was amended to remove the immanent death qualification. Next year, in '23 it is expected to be amended again to include mental illness.

Now Canada is pretty progressive, and would have been increasingly
likely to face Charter challenges via basic dignity and quality of life issues. The Charter is our constitution, fyi.

If you're American, well then look to the northwest first, most likely—get the hell away from any bible-thumping states. In Europe, move to Belgium. Don't know about other places, like Australia or South America…

 

[EvaKay]

I think it's also taboo because of the violent end many people are forced to meet due to the fact that options for peaceful exit methods are often out of reach for many.

 

[Intelligent_Panic99]

I agree with all of this, plus the idea of being able to talk about suicide without judgement or argument against it and process it with other people would make the process so much less lonely and might even help lessen the blow (so to speak) for those left behind if they could learn to understand their loved one's rationale.

 

[Ta555]

That would be the dream eh? In pre-industrial times death was normal. People died at all ages from disease, hunger, war etc. And since we've become more 'civilised' and science and medicine has advanced death is no longer normal. It is an awful thing to be feared and is very medicalised. The medical institution goes to great lengths to keep people breathing (alive) even if it causes them a lot of pain and suffering because for some strange reason, being alive in any shape or form, even if you're brain damaged or physically incapacitated is somehow preferable to being dead? It's disgusting and I mostly blame religion and it's effects for this. Fuck sanctity of life. What about sanctity of death?

 

[worseandworse]

i wish it wasn't so stigmatized. id love to go out peacefully in a nice room with my family there instead of having to end it in a way that will disturb anybody and possibly traumatize whoever finds me after its done. if someone i loved was going to kill themselves id rather they do it in a humane environment where i would be able to say goodbye and spend their last moments with me by their side.

euthanasia sounds so nice, but the chances are extremely slim ill ever be able to do it unfortunately.

 

[Schmootz]

Suicide is taboo for two reasons:

1. Dead People don't tithe.
2. Dead people don't pay taxes.

 

[☆AwaitingEntropy☆]

It's so painful what people have to do to obtain a chance at a "peaceful" death.

Sometimes we have to debase ourselves because the only relatively peaceful methods are hard to obtain or flat out illegal. For some, the act of lying, or doing something illegal is not only extremely stressful, but may go against our values.

We have to face frightening situations for those that cannot or do not want to try to get methods that are more likely to be peaceful. Jumping from high places, cutting into our own skin, tying a rope around our necks, ingesting bitter poisons - all in the hope of a quick, but never painless, never fear free death.

And, more often than not, it's a process we go through alone. Talking to people about it is so personal, and there is no telling how people will react. We are forced to choose between lying to those we care about, or telling the truth, and risk being unheard or misunderstood.

Being suicidal is a wholly isolating experience. I know that when I die, I will die alone, unseen, and quite possibly, afraid. I cannot even give my loved ones the courtesy of an explanation because I know they will not understand.

All because suicide and suicide discussion is taboo. That is unimaginably cruel.

 

[MementoMori81]

i wish it wasn't so stigmatized. id love to go out peacefully in a nice room with my family there instead of having to end it in a way that will disturb anybody and possibly traumatize whoever finds me after its done. if someone i loved was going to kill themselves id rather they do it in a humane environment where i would be able to say goodbye and spend their last moments with me by their side.

euthanasia sounds so nice, but the chances are extremely slim ill ever be able to do it unfortunately.

This is something that really resonated with me. People shouldn't have to fly to Switzerland to action a life ending choice. They should be able to do so in the comfort of their own homes, with those they care about surrounding them. I've discussed my feelings with family and my closest friends. I have a great family, and brilliant friends who, whilst they're vocal about not wanting me to take the exit, they also understand that I'm not exactly happy. One friend said to me;
"me and the missus (he and his wife) love you, you're one of my best mates and I really don't want you to ever take the decision to leave, but at the same time we all love you enough that we wouldn't want you to have a miserable existence. It would be selfish of us to expect you to continue just because we don't like the idea of you not being around anymore"

I can't help but feel incredibly grateful to have people like that in my life.