Awareness campaign: suicide

 

Stop tabooing

information on

suicide, please.

You certainly ask yourselves why I share this topic:

Several weeks ago, I was asked to sign a petition “Prevent suicide – nationwide awareness campaign on suicide” (title translated from German). Blog posts from western Europe also showed that suicide is still a topic people prefer to avoid. Nobody should die because everyone else is looking the other way.

[I guest blogged part of this blog post on SFox’s Writing blog on 2013-10-01: http://sfoxwriting.com/2013/10/01/guest-blogger-karen-stop-tabooing-information-on-suicide/]

I did some research and want to share with you

– the definitions of taboo and suicide

– Dr. Alex Lickerman’s 6 reasons for suicide (just an extract)

– links to very interesting related blog posts

– voices on suicide

– lyrics: Don’t Try Suicide – Queen

Definitions:

ta·boo  /təˈbo͞o/

Noun

A custom prohibiting or restricting a particular practice or forbidding association with a particular person, place, or thing.

Adjective

Prohibited or restricted by custom.

Verb

Place under such prohibition.

Synonyms

noun.  tabu – prohibition – ban – interdict – proscription

adjective.  tabu – forbidden – prohibited – illicit

verb.  tabu – prohibit – ban – forbid – interdict – bar

su·i·cide  /ˈso͞oiˌsīd/

Noun
The action of killing oneself intentionally: “he committed suicide at the age of forty”.
Verb
Intentionally kill oneself.
Synonyms
noun.  self-destruction – self-murder
verb.  take one’s own life – make away with oneself

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Alex Lickerman, M.D. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201004/the-six-reasons-people-attempt-suicide)

[Be aware that the following is only an extract.]:

In general, people try to kill themselves for six reasons:

1. They’re depressed. This is without question the most common reason people commit suicide. Often people suffer with it silently, planning suicide without anyone ever knowing. Despite making both parties uncomfortable, inquiring directly about suicidal thoughts in my experience almost always yields an honest response. If you suspect someone might be depressed, don’t allow your tendency to deny the possibility of suicidal ideation prevent you from asking about it.
2. They’re psychotic. Malevolent inner voices often command self-destruction for unintelligible reasons. Psychosis is much harder to mask than depression, and is arguably even more tragic. Psychosis, too, is treatable, and usually must be treated for a schizophrenic to be able to function at all. Untreated or poorly treated psychosis almost always requires hospital admission to a locked ward until the voices lose their commanding power.
3. They’re impulsive. Often related to drugs and alcohol, some people become maudlin and impulsively attempt to end their own lives. Once sobered and calmed, these people usually feel emphatically ashamed. The remorse is often genuine, but whether or not they’ll ever attempt suicide again is unpredictable. They may try it again the very next time they become drunk or high, or never again in their lifetime. Substance abuse and the underlying reasons for it are generally a greater concern in these people and should be addressed as aggressively as possible.
4. They’re crying out for help, and don’t know how else to get it. These people don’t usually want to die but do want to alert those around them that something is seriously wrong. They often don’t believe they will die, frequently choosing methods they don’t think can kill them in order to strike out at someone who’s hurt them, but they are sometimes tragically misinformed.
5. They have a philosophical desire to die. The decision to commit suicide for some is based on a reasoned decision, often motivated by the presence of a painful terminal illness from which little to no hope of reprieve exists. These people aren’t depressed, psychotic, maudlin, or crying out for help. They’re trying to take control of their destiny and alleviate their own suffering, which usually can only be done in death.
6. They’ve made a mistake. This is a recent, tragic phenomenon in which typically young people flirt with oxygen deprivation for the high it brings and simply go too far. The only defence against this, it seems to me, is education.

The wounds suicide leaves in the lives of those left behind by it are often deep and long lasting. The apparent senselessness of suicide often fuels the most significant pain. Thinking we all deal better with tragedy when we understand its underpinnings, I’ve offered the preceding paragraphs in hopes that anyone reading this who’s been left behind by a suicide might be able to more easily find a way to move on, to relinquish their guilt and anger, and find closure. Despite the abrupt way you may have been left, guilt and anger don’t have to be the only two emotions you’re doomed to feel about the one who left you.

If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to explore Dr. Lickerman’s home page, Happiness in this World.

Links to very interesting blog posts related to this topic

Blog: Topaz Winters: The Official Website

http://topazwinters.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/50-word-story-okay/

Blog: Greg Canty Fuzion Blog

“It drives me mad – Why do we move on and forget so easily?” (Greg Canty)

http://gregcantyfuzion.com/2013/10/03/death-forgiveness/

Blog: annavsana

“If I die, it was meant to be. If I survive, then there must still be some reason that I am to live.”  –  Going on!

http://annavsana.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/live-or-die/

Blog: My First Fantasy Novel

Great short story

http://vozey.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/reflections-of-a-mirror/

Blog: A Haphazard Universe

“You are valuable.”

http://stopthatwritenow.com/2013/09/12/you-are-valuable/

Blog: Irish Music, Oceans, and God’s Love

Encouraging “Because I feel alive, I feel.” (Lisa)

http://lisanlyons.com/2013/10/10/a-good-cry/

Voices on suicide

Ben:

Two former colleagues killed themselves. One of them was often depressed, sure. None of us could have guessed that it was that bad. The other colleague, after an accident with minor injuries, felt he could no longer cope. He seized the opportunity to retire early. Several weeks later we were informed about his death. We learned later that he had committed suicide.

Rob:

When I was a student I lived in a house with 8 tiny flats. My upstairs neighbour was also at university. He was quite good looking, had a cute girlfriend. One day, after our afternoon classes, my girlfriend and I returned home. We heard someone crying from above. I went up to investigate. His girlfriend was sobbing her eyes out. On coming home she found his lifeless body. He had taken sleeping pills. We had no idea that he was unhappy.

Two years after that, one of my fellow students – a manic depressive – decided to quit taking his medication. He had attempted suicide in the past and was saved in time. This time he jumped out of the window (at home). We didn’t know what we could have done to prevent him from doing it.

Ruth:

I consider it horrible that someone commits suicide out of the blue and leaves it to his/her family to cope with it. There is something else to consider regarding this topic… What if someone is really that ill, or very old and frail that a life worth living is no longer possible? I do not know what I would do in this case. I could understand it and respect that someone plans to end his/her life due to a justified reason. In my opinion this makes it possible to die with dignity. I came to this conclusion due to a report by Pratchett.

Karen:

As I mentioned before: Nobody should die because everyone else is looking the other way. Referring to Ruth: I once saw a war film. There was a wounded soldier in the sick bay. He was completely paralysed, couldn’t even move his eyelids. He was fully aware of everything around him – and nobody knew how he felt. I cannot remember the end, perhaps I switched off the TV set. You have to forgive me – I was about fourteen years old. This is a nightmare, being completely immobile, held captive in your own body.

Whenever I feel sad, I think about all the good things that make me happy. These things may seem minor, in total they can make my day. You certainly remember my book review: https://mytrainofthoughtson.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/happy-every-day-by-bryan-l-hutchinson/. Bryan L. Hutchinson shows easy steps on how to be happy every day.

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Don’t Try Suicide – Queen

(Words and music by Freddie Mercury)

A-one two three four one
Yeah

Okay
Don’t do it don’t you try it baby
Don’t do that
Don’t don’t don’t
Don’t do that
You got a good thing going now
Don’t do it don’t do it
Don’t

Don’t try suicide
Nobody’s worth it
Don’t try suicide
Nobody cares
Don’t try suicide
You’re just gonna hate it
Don’t try suicide
Nobody gives a damn

So you think it’s the easy way out?
Think you’re gonna slash your wrists
This time
Baby when you do it all you do is
Get on my tits
Don’t do that try try try baby
Don’t do that —you got a good thing going now
Don’t do it don’t do it
Don’t

Don’t try suicide
Nobody’s worth it
Don’t try suicide
Nobody cares
Don’t try suicide
You’re just gonna hate it
Don’t try suicide
Nobody gives a damn

You need help
Look at yourself you need help (yeah, yeah)
You need life
So don’t hang yourself
It’s okay, okay, okay, okay
You just can’t be a prick teaser all of the time
A little bit attention—you got it
Need some affection—you got it
Suicide suicide suicide bid
Suicide suicide suicide bid
Suicide

Don’t do it don’t do it don’t do it babe (yeah)
Don’t do it don’t do it don’t—do it
Hey!
Hey, yeah!

Don’t put your neck on the line
Don’t drown on me babe
Blow your brains out –
Don’t do that (yeah)
Don’t do that—you got a good thing going baby
Don’t do it (no) don’t do it (no) don’t
Don’t try suicide
Nobody’s worth it
Don’t try suicide
Nobody cares
Don’t try suicide
You’re just gonna hate it
Don’t try suicide
Nobody gives
Nobody gives
Nobody gives a damn

Okay

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My special thanks go to all bloggers mentioned in this post. You are very inspiring in your very special ways.

I feel, therefore I am. (above mentioned Lisa inspired me, thank you so much, Lisa.  :-))

What is your opinion on this topic? Do we forget too easily? Many of us were brought up with tabooing – isn’t it time to rethink?