Suicide Prevention and Gratification

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

I was re-watching a YouTube video of someone exploring Aokigahara when I had this train of thought: Stopping someone from committing suicide does not make you a hero.

I dislike the fact that anything and everything can be capitalized upon. Can you picture it? You're spending what could be your final hours in relative peace when this wannabe appears out of nowhere. The next few hours will now be spent with this person attempting to persuade you to change your mind.

It's not even that I consider this a poor gesture. My issue is with the public's perspective of suicide and how such situations are handled in the aftermath. Do they actually care? Why is it that we rarely hear the other person's point of view? Why is it vital to have a hero, and why are their deeds rewarded? When it's discovered that the suicidal person has a criminal past, why does the perspective shift?

These beliefs about life and how precious it is being treated so arbitrarily. A fuzzy feeling is valued over the actual individual whose life has been exposed as a result of their decision being made for them.

Pro-lifers are perpetrators of this kind of narrative. It makes it difficult to believe someone would genuinely want to help you.

 

[FuneralCry]

I believe that pro lifers only pretend to care about suicidal people just to make themselves feel better. Stopping a suicide attempt is just prolonging that persons suffering. I wish we lived in a society where our right to die is respected and then we could just exit peacefully when the time is right for us.

 

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

I believe that pro lifers only pretend to care about suicidal people just to make themselves feel better.

I believe in something similar, but that pro-lifers do it out of delusion, rather than for the sake of public satisfaction.

Someone who is so eager to please God that they are unable to pause and assess the issue.

 

[CommitSudoku]

I try never to lump anyone into a box. Just because some are a certain way or we're a certain way, doesn't mean everyone else is the same. I would imagine some pro-lifers and just people in general do care an increible amount, perhaps the pain they feel seeing death is on the level of pain we feel from being alive. But any one individual can only do so much, and has their own life to live. It's not like they can drop their own life and responsibilies to help someone out completely just as no one on here could either, even if they wanted to. There's not enough time in the world to learn everyone's story. Nor enough energy haha but I digress. I ultimately want to die but honestly the thought of someone seeing me in pain and taking their time to talk it out with me seems nice, I'd like that since outside of people online I've never had such concern given to me from others. Sure it wouldn't be sincere from some people and they would use it for self gratification, but not everyone would be like that. Some people really want to help, but might go about it in a way that the other person doesn't feel the same about. We're all imperfect and just bumbling around. And for some people, perhaps they are still uncertain if taking their own life is what they want and that intervention is what they need. Maybe they'll go on to recover and be endlessly thankful, or perhaps they won't. We'll never know, and it's different for everyone

For what you mentioned about watching a video though, I feel like such places give a skewed view. Some YouTubers in particular will capitalize on everything, they've turned YouTube into their income after all. Anyone who's recording probably has different intentions, and certainly those can lean towards what you mentioned. But what is published is what can be easily viewed versus the stories that are there but won't be spoken of.

My issue is with the public's perspective of suicide and how such situations are handled in the aftermath. Do they actually care? Why is it that we rarely hear the other person's point of view? Why is it vital to have a hero, and why are their deeds rewarded? When it's discovered that the suicidal person has a criminal past, why does the perspective shift?

These beliefs about life and how precious it is being treated so arbitrarily. A fuzzy feeling is valued over the actual individual whose life has been exposed as a result of their decision being made for them.

I would agree that the public's perspective is an issue though and how things can be handled. Good questions you posed and an intriguing topic to discuss. I apologize if it came off poorly anything I wrote, simply wanted to share my thoughts.
I feel like for the general, not-as-depressed population though, I can understand having a want/need for a hero. It's a bit less dismal than thinking we'll never truly be cared for and every good deed is just disguised, and most not-as-depressed people would probably do better from thinking more positively than reinforcing negative views which would probably lead them to be completely depressed. I really think how aftermath is handled is done wrong and nothing is really done to address properly what can lead to people taking their own lives in many cases. But then culture and society, etc. etc., cannot be changed immediately and there is most likely no "right" answer that suits every single person. I do personally wish as well more people could recognize that some people are better off in death and that it was entirely their choice. It hurts knowing no matter what I could write, others will blame themselves and my death will be taken badly. Anyways, once more very interesting topic you posted. There's so many different things to consider related to this, really made me think (my apologies on my response coming out long and ramble-y as a result). Thanks for posting.

 

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

There's so many different things to consider related to this, really made me think (my apologies on my response coming out long and ramble-y as a result). Thanks for posting.

No, no! Thank you for taking the time to respond! This is why I'm here in the first place: To discuss.

In general, I don't believe that everyone has an agenda. If my words came off that way, I apologize. It's simply something I'm speculating on.

I'd like to see people be helped. My main issue is how...ignorant people act in reaction to certain topics/situations. As an example, there was another video of a man entering Aokigahara and encountering someone. When he tried to call out to them, they bolted. He even became enraged that the locals were not as concerned as he was. But, why would they be? Since the 1960s, this location has been a suicide hotspot. To some extent, they're probably used to it. What can they do if you couldn't manage the problem appropriately yourself?

He wasn't the only source of irritation. Another reason I brought up this matter was because of the YouTube comments. People discussing how sad the video made them, how considerate the uploader was, and echoing the same quotes:

People who are suicidal don't want to die, they just want the pain to stop.

...who is this for?

 

[CommitSudoku]

@Alcoholic Teletubby just noticed how interesting your name is. Out of curiosity, have you ever seen the videos on YouTube about the suicides happening in South Korea? I watched some videos related to that a while back. Videos like that really make you think.

Elderly citizens there would be abandoned by their families, but one method they also used was putting pictures of smiling people and families on bridges to deter people from jumping from them. Just came to my mind how those two things I mentioned are somewhat at odds. The world can be so cruel.

 

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

@Alcoholic Teletubby just noticed how interesting your name is. Out of curiosity, have you ever seen the videos on YouTube about the suicides happening in South Korea? I watched some videos related to that a while back. Videos like that really make you think.

Elderly citizens there would be abandoned by their families, but one method they also used was putting pictures of smiling people and families on bridges to deter people from jumping from them. Just came to my mind how those two things I mentioned are somewhat at odds. The world can be so cruel.

My username was literally inspired by my profile picture. I'm not even an alcoholic.

I'm not sure I've ever seen any videos like the ones you referenced. If I had, that would have been during one of my late trigger-binges. I do recall reading about the situation regarding some of the seniors, though.

It frightens me. Abandonment is something that feeds into my phobia of independence. To spend the majority of your life with these individuals only to be tossed aside later... It's a real-life adaptation of a Kafka story.

 

[CommitSudoku]

My username was literally inspired by my profile picture. I'm not even an alcoholic.

I'm not sure I've ever seen any videos like the ones you referenced. If I had, that would have been during one of my late trigger-binges. I do recall reading about the situation regarding some of the seniors, though.

It frightens me. Abandonment is something that feeds into my phobia of independence. To spend the majority of your life with these individuals only to be tossed aside later... It's a real-life adaptation of a Kafka story.

So you're just a Teletubby then? Not sure what to take of that...

Aging frightens me more than anything, and deteriorating in health and mind (more so than I have already). But in those videos the seniors were still working themselves to the bone and supporting themselves. So in that way perhaps it could be inspiring. They often didn't want to be a burden either, to anyone even by accepting handouts.

Have you read works by Kafka? Not that I have but I wish I had when I enjoyed reading.

 

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

So you're just a Teletubby then? Not sure what to take of that...

Aging frightens me more than anything, and deteriorating in health and mind (more so than I have already). But in those videos the seniors were still working themselves to the bone and supporting themselves. So in that way perhaps it could be inspiring. They often didn't want to be a burden either, to anyone even by accepting handouts.

Have you read works by Kafka? Not that I have but I wish I had when I enjoyed reading.

I'm a Teletubby, the sad Teletubby.

On the subject of aging, I have to agree with you. As each year passes, I find myself missing the latter. My unwillingness to move forward or make a genuine attempt at change. My own worst enemy. That's why, after years of not exercising my knees are suffering. Seniors' stories are encouraging; I wish I could be more like them. Though a part of me wonders if some of their strivings are influenced by their upbringing or conditioning.

No, I haven't had the opportunity to read any of Kafka's books. I tend to rely on secondhand information for a lot of my expertise (which is not good, I know). I was only reminiscing about the events of the Metamorphosis.