The One Thing I Wish People Would Understand About Suicide

Wednesday 11 July 2018

In light of the many recent celebrity deaths by suicide, there have been many opinions circulating on social media relating to depression, and suicide in particular.

I'm of the belief that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, and I like to think of myself as someone with an open mind, and in turn, an open heart.

But there is one particular train of thought on this topic that I can't help but find deeply upsetting.

I have seen countless amounts of comments, posts and articles by people who feel that suicide is a "selfish act" - with no ifs, ands or buts about it!

Each time I read one of these comments, I can't help but feel angry, upset and offended.

I feel angry because people are ignorant. I feel upset because there are people taking there own lives every day out of pure desperation, only to be judged and ridiculed by strangers who never knew them. And I feel offended because I have been suicidal. I have been in that frame of mind where I felt the only way out was to end my life, and I came very close to doing so. So, does that make me selfish too?

When Chester Bennington passed away, I read a comment saying he should go to hell for "doing this to his children". Similar comments were made about Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain shortly after.

It's these sorts of comments that make my blood boil. The fact that some people really think that these people took there own lives as some sort of vendetta against their loved ones just baffles me!

Depression is not a bad day. It is not feeling sad. It is not having a hard time. Depression is a debilitating disease. It consumes every part of you and can take away your ability to reason or think logically.

These people were not just having a bad day. They were consumed by this disease and convinced that the world would be a better place without them. They were desperate for peace and felt there was no hope of ever finding it.

They didn't take their lives to harm their loved ones, they did it FOR their loved ones! Because they truly believed in that moment that the people they loved the most would be better off without them.

This is the one thing I wish people would understand about suicide. It is a sad, tragic, horrible thing - but it is not a selfish act!

I know some people will disagree with this, and that's okay. But I felt the need to express this today, and so I have.

Please think before making such harsh comments. You never know what someone has been through, is going through or will one day go through.

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