Suicide??

[Leslie]

You're supposed to slit them long ways, that way if you stop because it hurts too much, you'll still bleed to death.

hypothermia could work

 

[CydCharisse]

IMO, suicide is the most selfish and greedy way a person can die.

 

[greenfreak]

The fear turns itself into a kinda "imprint" in the mind that we call PTSD.

Are you a firefighter/EMT? I don't think PTSD has that much to do with fear but more so the reaction to a life threatening incident or one that deeply affects you emotionally. Or, in EMS/Fire/Police, the buildup of such calls over time. I think there's a lot more to it than that, of course, but I don't think it's caused by fear but rather that fear may be a byproduct of PTSD.

You asked in another thread somewhere what I was involved in. I was an EMT first and then an AEMT (in NY's protocols, for all intents and purposes, a Paramedic) for about 7 years in volunteer and paid jobs. I've helped others with PTSD and been through my own debriefing for a terrible call I experienced a few years ago. It was a pedestrian struck right in front of the corps, someone we knew, was alive when we found her and died in front of us. Add that to the members of her family finding me at the corps and asking me questions like, "Do you think she experienced any pain?", knowing she probably did experience terrible pain, but having to decide to tell the truth or to lie... Mine pretty much had everything to do with taking care of my patient, my crew, my friends, the patient's family, but not caring for myself and what I was going through. Fear didn't keep me from going back on the ambulance, my problem is that I didn't want to get off because it was easier to ignore what I was feeling.

Anyway... As far as suicide goes... I think these days people saying they have considered or tried committing suicide has become "cool". Just like everyone is bi now. I think saying either when it's not true is stupid.

Kurt Cobain wasn't deep, he was deeply disturbed and an asshole for committing suicide. So was my friend Al, he just gave up and decided to high tail it out of here. I realize that to get to the point of doing it, you've got to be pretty fucked up. But there's no reason to sympathize with people who commit suicide just because they're dead, it's still a stupid thing to do. I have much more respect for the people who have been that low and pulled their own asses out of it instead of taking the easy way out.

 

[AnomalousEntity]

Are you a firefighter/EMT? I don't think PTSD has that much to do with fear but more so the reaction to a life threatening incident or one that deeply affects you emotionally. Or, in EMS/Fire/Police, the buildup of such calls over time. I think there's a lot more to it than that, of course, but I don't think it's caused by fear but rather that fear may be a byproduct of PTSD.

Nope, I have had a loaded gun put to my face, had the hammer cocked, been able to look inside the barrel and see the loaded shell, and then see the finger on the trigger squeezing every so slightly.

I once weathered a tornado that found me in the pantry with a pole form the closet i had pulled out and wedged between the ceiling and the floor with my dog praying for my life.

I once found out that my x wife cheated on me and nearly killed myself or someone else before I got control of my emotions.

I once had a break in that you could hear the guy moving around in the downstairs and I went down with a .12 gauge shot gun...convinced in my mind that either he was going to kill me or I was going to kill him.

I have had my dad sucker punch me with a full fist of rings when I was only 10 years old for no apparant reason, that took me straight to the ground in a bloody, dazed, ear ringing, blurred vision, eye tearing, nose running mess......no explanation ever offered.

I was once in a car wreck that completely surprised me, hit so hard I bent the steering wheel, I could hear loud banging, metal crunching, glass breaking, wheels spinning, and I could smell smoke and rubber, but I couldnt see anything, didnt know where I was, and wasnt sure what happened or if I was hurt or would die or what.

All of these events have caused me nightmares and Ive had very unexpected "flash backs" to them at very very unexpected times and couldnt figure out why. Some of these events have changed the way I drive, the way I think, how close I stand to people, the fact that I wont live in a house without a security system or go anywhere without a gun. I have a terrible problem trusting in relationships and even have nightmares about what my partner is doing all the time. If a bad windstorm comes up or I hear a noise late at night...Im nearly paralyzed with fear.

Ok, so none of it is full PTSD and most of it is fairly common, but fear was a factor in most of these circumstances. Fear and the natural human instinct to learn behaviors to ensure survival. In much the way a vet hits the deck if someone throws out fire crackers, I check up on my spouse and check all the doors every night. If its not fear its somthing very very close.

 

[BlurOfSerenity]

when i was 13 and completely out of control, i almost went thru with it, but freaked out and sought help.

i later found out that the method i'd planned on using would have been as effective as i hear holding one's breath is -- not very effective at all.

 

[IDLEchild]

It's amazing to see everyone's participation in this discussion and sharing their experiences realting to this subject. Thank you everyone.

 

[Luis G]

It's a very radical & permanent solution to a temporary problem.

That's exactly how I see it now.

I think for many people, it is that the pain and suffering of life become too much to stand. They begin to feel hopeless.
They begin to feel so badly about themselves that they don't even consider the people in their lives that love them. Or, if they do think about it, they convince themselves that everyone would be better off without them anyway.
I don't consider it to be weakness, just becoming so beat down that they become incapable of dealing with life and the stress that seems to come all-too-often.

That's the way i felt when i considered a few years ago, I still remember those long years of silent depression i had, on the outside i seemed like a normal person: went to parties, had "great" times, laughed and even helped other people with their problems, but the inner me was just tired of everything and it seemed that everything i did at the time was only making me get more depressed, i was happy but wanted to shout i wasn't really happy, i wanted comfort but i was affraid of asking for it, ohh well, fortunately, those days are gone for good.

 

[greenfreak]

Ok, so none of it is full PTSD and most of it is fairly common, but fear was a factor in most of these circumstances. Fear and the natural human instinct to learn behaviors to ensure survival. In much the way a vet hits the deck if someone throws out fire crackers, I check up on my spouse and check all the doors every night. If its not fear its somthing very very close.

I see your point. I was specifically referring to Fire/EMS/Police situations because I thought you were a member of one of those groups. With our situations, fear did not color our reactions to them at the time, but possibly later down the line, hence the "P" in PTSD. We were in a job that required us to turn off our feelings to get the job done so our reactions were usually after the fact, not when it happened. Adrenaline rushes really help with that-helping to not react emotionally but rather to do what you had to do no matter what the cost.

But later after the call, after our shift, after a similar call months later... If it's going to hit you, that's when it happens. It can take all forms. My experiences and thoughts about PTSD are bound to be different from yours but I see where you're coming from.

Some really great information: http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/index.html

 

[SexyBoo]

That's the way i felt when i considered a few years ago, I still remember those long years of silent depression i had, on the outside i seemed like a normal person: went to parties, had "great" times, laughed and even helped other people with their problems, but the inner me was just tired of everything and it seemed that everything i did at the time was only making me get more depressed, i was happy but wanted to shout i wasn't really happy, i wanted comfort but i was affraid of asking for it, ohh well, fortunately, those days are gone for good.

I'm so glad that those days are gone for you Luis, it is not a fun place to be. Kind of like acting during all waking hours. I don't think I would ever feel bad enough to take my own life, but unfortunately, I don't think I would care much right now either if I knew I was going to die tomorrow. I try to keep hoping that things will begin looking up and I can just look back and roll my eyes at how badly I was feeling.

 

[freako104]

ive thought about it(I dont want to worry anyone on here as I have never tried and with my feelings on life now I never will). I would try to talk someone out of it but I wont necesarily stop them if they try as I cannot make decisions for anyone else but I would say how final it is and try to tell them theres a better way. I am for euthanasia so to me suicide is a form of euthanasia.

 

[Aunty Em]

When I was in my early twenties I suffered from severe depression and had to have several months of medication on a couple of occassions. And again after my daughter was born I was very severely depressed, but no-one, especially myself recognised the symptoms at the time - I'm pretty good at hiding them. On all three occassions I came very close to committing suicide, with the intention of taking my daughter with me on the third occassion.

All I can say from the experience is that when you are in the grip of such a severe depression your thinking is very distorted and illogical, and what may seem very simple to someone else is almost impossible for you. I really can't describe exactly how it was because it was so different, but in retrospect I can see that things were definately not right.

I still have a low level depression and have had since then, but you learn to live with it and hopefully I will never be suicidal again.

 

[PrincessLissa]

All I can really say is that suicide is for the weak. Hating your own existance and all of existence is about the same. It can be cured but it can also be VERY dangerous.

 

[Aunty Em]

All I can really say is that suicide is for the weak. Hating your own existance and all of existence is about the same. It can be cured but it can also be VERY dangerous.

Hate is too strong a word... it isn't that simple.

 

[Spirit]

Hmm.. how to approach this. I am not very coherent when expressing my self on this thing...

Suicide is not a weakness as much as it is a sickness.

How can you judge someone who takes thier own life? I don't get it. Is it up to you to say, "He/She was weak, couldn't handle life"??? Nope.

Now before you go off on how suicide affects those around them, you don't have to go that route with me. My Mom committed suicide so there isn't anything you can tell me about that.

You don't know the chemical make up of that persons brain to make any kind of judgement call on what kind of person they were to have taken thier own life.... or is someone here a neurologist and just not telling us?

Saying a person is weak to have committed suicide is ignorant. You think it's easy to KILL yourself?? Imagine for one moment the fear that person is feeling. Imagine sitting ALONE in a room, a basement, a closet - a garage... and feeling like it's the only way out. THE ONLY WAY OUT. You're ALONE. You feel no one can help your situation. It can never get better. No one cares.

To me, weakness is someone who consistently hurts others - like a parent who leaves thier child to others to raise so they can party - that's weakness. Blaming others for personal mistakes, that's weakness. Not telling the truth, that's weakness.

I would never committ suicide as my thought processes don't tend to sway that way, even in depression. But don't for a second think you can judge a person who can.

 

[HubbaHubba]

two people i know, one attempted, one wouldve
number one ddnt get far; took lots of tylonol or whatever but threw it up, they're very happy now and it was a while ago during some rough times..
the other didnt because he found out somebody cared about him

I'd commit suicide if i could see the reaction, i guess that makes me a bad person or something but whatever. i dont want to die or anything but i think being able to document how the experience went over would be very fasinating.

 

[Gonz]

I didn't even read the thread but I'll give my answer to the topic & read it all later.

Suicide is a losers way out. Life ain't worth shit until you go down fighting.

 

[Roxy]

I'd commit suicide if i could see the reaction, i guess that makes me a bad person or something but whatever. i dont want to die or anything but i think being able to document how the experience went over would be very fasinating.

That makes me think of that movie. Uh.....with Sandra Bullock? Where they invent that machine that let's them come back to life? I'm thinking the title was Flatliners or something, but then again it's 1 am, and I'm rambling nonsense. Heh.

 

[Aunty Em]

Flatliners... I know the movie, but it was about a machine which could record what happened when you die... e.g. near death experiences when people who have returned report having been to a place filled with light etc. This machine could record that experience... they came back to life via the usual method of passing an electrical shock through the heart... dangerous stuff...

 

[freako104]

some of you remember I mentioned my friend Sal on here a while back. when he tried to take his life many of us(myself and my friends) were incredibly worried and did what we could for him. he says hell never do it again and regrets taking the valu-codine but he had his reasons to do so(severe depression). it hurt all of us more than I could ever have imagined and I lost a friend in first grade when that friend drowned. so with that in mind this is something I want everyone to know



YOU ARE NOT EVER ALONE. THERE ARE OTHERS WHO CARE ABOUT YOU. YOU MEAN SOMETHING TO SOMEONE.



and remember this saying

to the world your one person. to one person your the world

 

[paul_valaru]

A couple of months ago, my life went to shit for a time. I was depressed, angry, and totally messed up.

I didn't even think about suicide, until i was in the bath, with a razor blade...

It just dawned on me, that this would be easier than living.

then a little voice in my head, offered my suicidal, sad, depressed self a nice big cup of STFU.

I realized, if you don't like how things are, change them, if you can't change it, deal with it.

Suicide is something that some people think about, and if they have no voice (the will to live) inside there head, they will attempt it.

I don't think suicide is right, you should cover all your options, and then you can call it euthinasia.