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Yes, that's a cute little cliche' that gets tossed around quite a bit, but the truth is that often times the problem is far from temporary.
Take chronic illness for example. I came down with a bad case of Lyme Disease. I was told that because it was diagnosed late that it would be much more difficult to cure. I found out that it can drag on for years and in some cases becomes a permanent life long illness.
At about year three I finally reached my breaking point. The treatment wasn't working and I had no reason to believe that I would recover at all. The sheer magnitude of the suffering that I was going through cannot be properly communicated. Some things have to be experienced in order to be understood. The constant crushing fatigue and the excruciating pain led to extreme depression and anxiety. I began to contemplate suicide. There was a raging debate going on inside my head; some kind of existential tug of war. I never believed that I would ever even entertain such thoughts. Prior to the illness I loved life. I was in limbo: I did not want to die, but life simply wasn't worth living anymore.
One night I found myself sitting at the edge of my bed with a loaded pistol in my lap. I sat there staring at it for hours. It was a 357 Magnum so death was pretty much assured. I put it in my mouth several times. The truth is, the only reason that I'm still here is that I didn't have the balls to pull the trigger. I didn't see the light, God didn't speak to me, there was no grand revelation I just chickened out.
I think that the main reason most people have a hard time understanding suicide is that although they've likely experienced their fair share of adversity they have never dealt with a problem that has brought them to their knees. By the time a person is ready to die they have already struggled mightily on a physical, philosophical, and spiritual level. There has been a great deal of contemplation and soul searching. It might look spur of the moment to friends and family members, but believe me it's not. I no longer judge people who take their own lives.
I dont judge people either who take their own lives, for I cannot judge them. but it still does not alter the fact that suicide was a permanent solution to lymes disease, as lymes disease is treatable even if not caught early.
I feel that if you are going to commit suicide, then do not seek help as you are too far gone to have anyone help you, just do it and do not be a burden to anyone else.
Long-term and incurable mental illnesses are not temporary problems, but your logic may apply to situational depression, i.e. due to the loss of a loved one, or even a job.
so what do you do if someone commits suicide and then the next day a cure for that illness is found, you have then killed yourself too soon to have saved yourself from that illness.
I do not believe in forcing treatments upon anyone, but believe in medicating oneself. but killing yourself is not an option in medicating yourself.
For the same reason that a veterinarian would put your dog down. It is the kind and humane thing to do.
no, having someone else help you kill your self is just a copout, as you are not willing to do it yourself, you have to have someone help you. if you think suicide is your only choice, then do it yourself or not at all.
I think we are blending two types here. Euthanasia or taking one's own life due to a illness is certainly different than one of a mental issue.
If one's pain & suffering due to illness is so great that one would tend to choose to end their lives then we should be able to respect that.
Suicides caused by mental issues are far more complex. We are dealing with depression which is treatable and at times snap judgements during a crisis.
Depression is very treatable but it seems to be the #1 cause of suicides.
so what do you do if someone commits suicide and then the next day a cure for that illness is found, you have then killed yourself too soon to have saved yourself from that illness.
I do not believe in forcing treatments upon anyone, but believe in medicating oneself. but killing yourself is not an option in medicating yourself.
In many cases, medication makes it worse. The "cure" will not come for a long, long time as we are nowhere near even remotely understanding the brain's chemistry. Let's be honest here, there's still way too much stigma associated with mental illness in general. Until that stigma is completely lifted, there isn't much hope.
I think we are blending two types here. Euthanasia or taking one's own life due to a illness is certainly different than one of a mental issue.
If one's pain & suffering due to illness is so great that one would tend to choose to end their lives then we should be able to respect that.
Suicides caused by mental issues are far more complex. We are dealing with depression which is treatable and at times snap judgements during a crisis.
Depression is very treatable but it seems to be the #1 cause of suicides.
*some* depression is treatable, but in many cases, it is not. It really depends on the individual. Also, if the depression is combined with schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder or even severe anxiety, it makes life a lot more tough and much more of an existence, rather than a life of actually living. I really wouldn't begrudge someone for choosing to end their life, especially if they'd suffered for many years and had exhausted all options available.
I'm not comfortable having an opinion on a person's rights IRT their bodies. But, whether I agree with a suicide option it is a different matter. If this question was asked a few months ago, I probably would have given a different answer. The issue with choosing suicide is that I wonder if the person contemplating it really understands death. You have whatever experience in life you don't like or that you suffer through. Choosing death, tho, is really choosing the option behind door A, but you really don't know what it is you're choosing. That's a gamble.
Of course, none of us can really understand it until we're in it, but I'm not sure if it's a simple matter of pain vs no pain. My twin brother suffered a lot in his life. He had severe chronic illness, which led to emotional/mental suffering as well. I often thought he would be better off if he died. He did die (motorcycle accident) and I spent his last 7-8 hours with him while he went through the process. The experience, from my pov, wasn't what I thought it would be. It was dirty, dark, timeless, enveloping, and a significant struggle. As his breathing became labored his oxygen levels dropped. His body starved. I understood time in a different way that night and all that was happening for him was him dying. It wasn't a relief from suffering from what I saw. All we have is this moment and that was his, and it wasn't good.
With that in mind, there are better reasons to die imo, to go through that; perhaps sacrifice for another. To exchange the suffering while living for the struggle and suffering comprised in death? I'd give that idea pause.
*some* depression is treatable, but in many cases, it is not. It really depends on the individual. Also, if the depression is combined with schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder or even severe anxiety, it makes life a lot more tough and much more of an existence, rather than a life of actually living.
That's the thing though, with proper help, many can learn how to live with their mental illness. To know how to handle it, and live with a permanent problem of that nature is the key. It takes lots of work, most of all from the "patient", it takes a lot more than just some pills, but in many cases it is doable.
Shift the focus from cure to handle and we might be getting somewhere.
Responsible dog owners use euthanasia to prevent suffering in an animal that might linger with much suffering, otherwise. If you think it is all about just killing animals, you obviously have no understanding of the issue.
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