Venting Mainstream suicide prevention rhetoric

[StrangePossum]

This is just a random vent, but God it makes me so annoyed to see people posting on social media after a suicide. Literally every single post is "remember that you're loved", "here's 5 hotline numbers", "reach out to someone if you need help", "there are professionals who can help". Like, jesus fucking christ, I know I can't assume anything about these peoples' experiences but do they have any idea what it's actually like to be suicidal? No, calling the hotline and talking to some random volunteer is not going to make me suddenly feel better. Sure, maybe most people are "loved" in theory but you can't just assume that. Everyone has different situations, you have no fucking idea about the shit some people are going through. We live in a ruthless capitalist society that makes life hell for anyone who can't contribute in the normal way and refuses to care for the vulnerable. The system has failed and is still failing millions and millions of people. Doing breathing exercises or journaling isn't going to fix that. "Going outside to get some fresh air" isn't going to fix a lifetime of trauma or fix the sick, broken society we live in. I know that people on social media can't do much else besides post dumb infographics, but some acknowledgment that the problem isn't so fucking simple as they make it out to be would at least make it a little less aggravating.

 

[porhtna]

Word.

 

[Seiko]

I've always wanted to devise a list of mantras given to suicidal people. The ones that come to mind are:

"(suicide hotline number)"
"Have you tried talking to someone?"
"Tough times don't last; tough people do."
"The grass is greener on the other side."
"Things will change."
"You're not alone."

At the least—they're concerned. But it takes a minimal amount of effort to say these things, and a lot of times, it's blatant virtue-signaling. You will never know someone and their situation case-by-case. Promising false hope through blanket statements is well-intentioned but falls short every time and rejects their feelings. I think a better thing to say would be, "I'm sorry you're feeling that way; you must be going through a lot." At least it's validating and doesn't come off as savior-ry.

 

[GasMonkey]

"The grass is greener on the other side."

We will have to catch a bus to the other side.

 

[FuneralCry]

Those types of people seriously are so ignorant, they must be to say things like that and apply it to everyone's situations. It's insane to me how people refuse to accept the fact that life is simply not worth enduring for everyone, and no amounts of suicide hotlines or overly positive platitudes will change any of that. The suffering that exists in this world is very real, and the fact is that some people simply don't want to exist and that fact should be accepted, rather than people having the idea forced at them that they must stay here at all costs.

 

[Pentobarbital_Plz]

We will have to catch a bus to the other side.

If only ctbing was just catching a special bus…just dress comfy and show up on time…

idk I'm so desperate for a peaceful, unrealistic, surreal death to just come for me but nothing scary! But I think so fucking much so as long as I'm conscious/awake, I am scaring the shit out of myself all day with extreme nihilistic or bizarre thoughts. To be a physical organism, an animal, with a conscious. Aware. It's overwhelmingly much. A lot of information, constantly. Too much…

 

[pipapo]

100%

 

[milkandcoffee]

Those types of people seriously are so ignorant, they must be to say things like that and apply it to everyone's situations. It's insane to me how people refuse to accept the fact that life is simply not worth enduring for everyone, and no amounts of suicide hotlines or overly positive platitudes will change any of that. The suffering that exists in this world is very real, and the fact is that some people simply don't want to exist and that fact should be accepted, rather than people having the idea forced at them that they must stay here at all costs.

It's completely unthinkable to them that someone might not be happy that they're alive. Lucky fucking them.

 

[Forever Sleep]

It's probably perversly wicked but I sort of initially smirk, then become pissed off when those hotlines appear.

I've never actually rung one of those lines. Someone I worked with did once and she said- once they had established that she didn't have a 'plan' or means readily available to do it, they seemed to loose interest!

From what she told me- they seemed very much like a Fire Brigade response- to stop you from doing it- not so much to help you sort out the root cause. Do they even refer you to help in your area I wonder?

Honestly, I don't really get it. If I REALLY want to kill myself, why would I phone someone who would do their best to stop me? And worse- send police to my location if the situation seemed serious enough?

Still, I'm probably talking shit. I've never actually attempted before- so I don't know what it actually feels like to be at that juncture. Plus, I've always had this (hope almost) that I would never do it impulsively- that it would be a 'rational' decision on my part. Maybe I'll never summon the courage to do it at all though!

 

[thankyouforthis]

This is just a random vent, but God it makes me so annoyed to see people posting on social media after a suicide. Literally every single post is "remember that you're loved", "here's 5 hotline numbers", "reach out to someone if you need help", "there are professionals who can help". Like, jesus fucking christ, I know I can't assume anything about these peoples' experiences but do they have any idea what it's actually like to be suicidal? No, calling the hotline and talking to some random volunteer is not going to make me suddenly feel better. Sure, maybe most people are "loved" in theory but you can't just assume that. Everyone has different situations, you have no fucking idea about the shit some people are going through. We live in a ruthless capitalist society that makes life hell for anyone who can't contribute in the normal way and refuses to care for the vulnerable. The system has failed and is still failing millions and millions of people. Doing breathing exercises or journaling isn't going to fix that. "Going outside to get some fresh air" isn't going to fix a lifetime of trauma or fix the sick, broken society we live in. I know that people on social media can't do much else besides post dumb infographics, but some acknowledgment that the problem isn't so fucking simple as they make it out to be would at least make it a little less aggravating.

Glad you mentioned (at least some of) society's failures. I feel like mainstream coverage of this issue (though I can't say "social media" because this is the only one I use) typically revolves around the individual and makes it about one's mental/emotional health. Not like that's not important, but for starters, things like capitalism contribute to ill mental/emotional health. The Evil Isms also threaten our lives in more direct ways by, say, making people hungry or homeless, or having them be violently attacked simply for being the "wrong" color, loving the "wrong" person, and so forth. And being hungry or homeless, those things cause stress and lead to other health problems...

Sooooo basically, you're dumped into this giant pile of shit and then folks be like "you are loved!" and that's supposed to make you okay to keep swimming in the shit.