We should stop the stigmatization of suicide - we could all agree on that but the interpretations are very different

[noname223]

I had the thought today. I read this so often in this forum we have to stop the stigmation of suicide. Like this is a take everyone could agree on. All people could agree on that. Even people who are against the right-to die repeat this take houndred of times. There are many suicide prevention campaigns that have this take as their motto. "Let's talk about suicide" I read of such a campaign in my country.

I just found the observation weird. The interpretations of this sentence can be diametrical. People can mean by that let's make N purchasable at the supermarket for 20 bucks. Others might mean the following. Each and every suicide has to be prevented no matter how much the person suffers or has the longterm consideration to make this step.

Maybe some interpretations that have a common ground. Suicide should be discussed more openly and with less shame. Guilt tripping people for having suicidal thoughts is wrong. (I think some religious people might disagree with that). If someone commits suicide we should not look away. We should ask about the motives. Suicidality is not failure of the person themselve. Suicidality is not due to a weak personality or a flaw. Having suicidal thoughts has nothing inherently to do with being a loser. (A guy in my self-help group had such a concern). Admitting suicidality should not be punished by the society. (which sadly is not really the case in many instances in our societies).

I think these are my thoughts for now. I could add a lot. It is rather an oberservation everyone has their own interpetation of this statement.

What do you think about it?

 

[Forever Sleep]

I think a very important thing would be to try and breakdown the direct conection/connotation that suicide has with mental illness. That will 'help' both pro-choice and pro-life people. Plenty of people want to end their lives because their circumstances feel so dreadful and difficult to change. It may not necessarily help them for people to just assume that they are mentally unstable and push them towards things like therapy. They need to be listened to rather than just avoided or pushed on to 'a professional' because their issues may be more practical rather than just perception/ psychologically based.

In terms of pro-choice- not all problems can be solved. It would be a HUGE step towards legalizing assisted suicide for more people if it were properly recognized that people with mental competency CAN choose to kill themselves. The thought alone doesn't make someone 'crazy' and mentally incompetent. These are discussions that need to be taking place.

With the situation we have at the moment, ideation is not only stigmatized- it is practically punished. You can be involuntarily committed. You can have many of your rights infringed. This NATURALLY makes people wary of being honest about how they feel. Most especially with the people who could perhaps help them the most- therapists and mental health workers. How CAN they do a good job when their patient is too terrified to tell them the extent of what is wrong? I'm guessing the litigation- culture we have is what causes so much of this. I think this CERTAINLY needs to change though- if mental healthcare is to improve. It just seems WAY too heavy handed to me at the moment. I think there need to be more gradiated responses to mental illness and/ or ideation which don't make things worse for people.

 

[Grimpoteuthis]

It is hard to measure the level of suffering from an objective perspective if it is not manifested physically. Plenty of, I would even say a large majority of people would support euthanasia for those who are terminally ill with no hope to benefit from the medical development and clearly suffering from physical pain.

The stigmatization of suicidal ideation comes from a combination of varying tolerance of pain and the misinterpretation of self-love. People who are born with higher sensitivity towards emotions and memorize traumatic events in great details will suffer a lot more compared to others with similar experiences. It is unfair to call them weak willed while everyone's brain processes differently. We need to acknowledge that both those who are strongly motivated to overcome suicidal ideation and those who completely lose hope in establishing a fulfilling life after years of desperation have a valid and reasonable argument for their decision.

Self-love is the concept of appreciation of the self, but does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that we need to preserve our bodies and embrace psychological growth. It should encourage a rational and introspective evaluation of the self and the circumstance to maximize one's chance to achieve happiness, and sometimes suicide would be the best solution. I can't perceive forcing yourself to live through a painful life and to improve with minimal progress while lying internally that you are proud yourself as a form of self-love. We can appreciate our effort and still choose to die.

To reduce stigmatization of suicide, respect and recognition are more important than understandings based on empathy, a task that is hardly possible when serious suicidal thoughts are not universal enough and ethically condemned for ages. Just some of my thoughts.