What do you think of people who commit suicide?

[Drunken Cat]

There was a conference here in Edinburgh today that was discussing assisted suicide for those who can't end their own life.

If I were ever in a vegetative state I'd want to die.

I'll post a link to a guy who was heavily discussed at the conference as his wife is one of the campaigners. Felt terrible seeing him on tv. He died a few days after he lost his case.

He was fully mentally aware but couldn't move his body. Must have been terrible.

I think they should allow assisted suicide in the uk. There are people who travel to Switzerland to die and pay thousands when they just want to die at home with loved ones.

I agree with assisted suicide in cases where someone is in intense pain.

The catch: It actually happens all the time, by morphine overdose, etc.

[ßringer]

Have you ever faced a parent who's child just committed suicide?

I have, at least twice. Once it was the mother of my good friend.

If you did, it would change your perspective on this, I think.

I haven't, but I honestly doubt it'd change my perspective whatsoever.

Sure, I'd feel sympathetic to the grieving parent(s) - Most people would. I can't imagine how bad that must suck. However, if the circumstances motivating the suicide were what I deemed to be justifiable (as in not over something trivial), I can't envision it changing my mind about the issue just because the loved ones were saddened by it. The cold reality is that when it becomes easier for a person to die than it is for them to live, that person is better off dead.

Expecting someone else to live out their life in misery out of some obligation you feel they have to your life is just a concept I simply cannot (and will not) comprehend.

[ßringer]

There are ways to take care of yourself. Don't consume too many sugars so as to avoid diabetes. Regular exercise staves off many, many illnesses. Study a foreign language. This is a check on degenerative brain diseases. Look it up, it is quite fascinating, but it is true.

I have seen people who live to very old ages, and are cognitive all the way through. My grandmother is 93 or so. I just called her up not too long ago, she's still going strong.

I agree, but there's much more to it than simply eating right and exercising. There are genetic factors at play, as well. Some of which we'll be lucky enough to know about early enough to act to stop them, and others which we won't be aware of until it's entirely too late.

You can do everything in your power to live a clean, healthy, and even monastic lifestyle, but all that you do can only help so much. It's not that black and white.

[-Kev-]

I use to think that people that commit suicide are weak people, but having worked in hospitals, I've changed my perception. No one knows about peoples hardships and what they are going through in life. It depends on the circumstances, but for some people, they feel their isn't a way out so the only option is to kill themselves. Sometimes the only way out is to commit suicide for some people.

That's true. There's people that go through things emotionally, they are just living a bad life, financially, or have no home or are about to lose it or some problem like that, romantically too lol.

Then there's people who go through things physically, they were given an abnormal life. They get a disease at a young age that they couldn't stop from getting, they become ill at a young age and feel like ending their life. These people would happily trade places with those I mentioned in the first sentence of my post. They rather go through hardships that can be overcome, rather than those that are like "Oh well, that's it, we can't cure this, you're f-cked. Here just take these meds for the rest of your life to just treat your illnesses".

[Drunken Cat]

I haven't, but I honestly doubt it'd change my perspective whatsoever.

Sure, I'd feel sympathetic to the grieving parent(s) - Most people would. I can't imagine how bad that must suck. However, if the circumstances motivating the suicide were what I deemed to be justifiable (as in not over something trivial), I can't envision it changing my mind about the issue just because the loved ones were saddened by it. The cold reality is that when it becomes easier for a person to die than it is for them to live, that person is better off dead.

Expecting someone else to live out their life in misery out of some obligation you feel they have to your life is just a concept I simply cannot (and will not) comprehend.

It isn't just being saddened by it. They (the parents) are also the ones who probably have to clean up the mess you left.

[Drunken Cat]

I agree, but there's much more to it than simply eating right and exercising. There are genetic factors at play, as well. Some of which we'll be lucky enough to know about early enough to act to stop them, and others which we won't be aware of until it's entirely too late.

You can do everything in your power to live a clean, healthy, and even monastic lifestyle, but all that you do can only help so much. It's not that black and white.

Never said it was black and white. The point was that there are indeed proactive steps one can take.

Of course, we all know of the person who seemingly did everything right, nevertheless to die young of say cancer.

[ßringer]

It isn't just being saddened by it. They (the parents) are also the ones who probably have to clean up the mess you left.

What if you have no parents? Then it's okay?

[kadyo's]

[Verstyle]

People that do can't find that opening and people don't or really care what they're going through. I don't think it's an easy way out, at that point in their mind, it's the only way out if their cries, in or out aren't heard.

There's nothing like you feeling that anyone doesn't care about your feelings or really care to.

[led]