Suicide Prevention ethical?

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Once again I am not talking about people, such as teenagers, who are in no state of mind to discern if they have no options in life.

I am talking about even-keeled people who truly have no chance of making a better life.

I think society tries to prevent suicide because of the value we place on human life and the fact that we consider death to be such a tragedy and something that should normally be prevented at all costs.

In some cultures suicide is condoned, and death is not considered to be the ultimate horror that could happen. I think it is just how we in the West think of life and death that cause us to view suicide as something that should be prevented.

There are also religious reasons for some people to oppose it, although I have heard some athiests say that because there is no afterlife, you should hold on to life as long as possible because it's your only shot.

Many people, relgious and nonreligous, oppose assisted suicide for people with painful terminal diseases. Some believe that it's a sin, and others believe that there is sufficient pain control even if it results in unconsciousness and that it's cruel to the family of the person to kill yourself to stop the pain.

Personally I'm against it, although I've tried it when I was very depressed. I had a friend kill himself and it messed me up in the head for about a year. I felt like it was my fault. He was kind of crazy to begin with and he fixated on me, and well, no. Long story short, I stopped hanging out with him and the weekend I cancelled plans with him he killed himself.

At least 90% of people who commit suicide are usually suffering from the following conditions: clinical depression, post traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. There are certain circumstances where taking your own life is a rational thing to do. A person trapped in poverty and homelessness certainly has a pretty damn good reason to end their life UNLESS they discover a way out.

Suicide prevention IS ethical and is an act of empathy. Suicidal teenagers are crying out for help.

When it comes to suicide, I always found it somewhat funny that nobody really seems to give a s**t until the person has actually committed it.

I actually knew a suicidal girl when I was a freshman who once told me that she had no reason to actually commit suicide because then everyone would be lining up in the news to say how they liked her, etc.

She didn't want to give them the satisfaction.

She said she'd only commit suicide if she could be guaranteed that her tormentors would have trouble sleeping at night due to her suicide.

Most of the people who kill themselves are elderly, ill, dying, losing all of their loved ones, etc.

The second largest group is teenagers.

I believe it is unethical to prevent the actual act of suicide, on individual basis, because it is impossible to know exactly what each person is feeling or thinking, and it is even more impossible for other people to look into their lives without bias.

It is also unethical to ignore the problems that would lead people to become suicidal. With the elderly, that is not always possible. With teenagers, and young adults, the cause is usually abuse. Abuse at home, at school, at the hands of relatives, neighbors, strangers, etc.

We live in a society that blames victims. Of course people are suicidal.

I am generally for preventing suicide (especially if the person is a teenager, as stupidity reaches previously unheard heights in the teenage years).

But after watching my grandfather die a painful and humiliating death after being rejected "a way out" despite his explicit desire for it, I am very much in favour of euthanasia...

IMO, denying people a decent death is just monstrous...

That's american culture for ya! Protestantism is the underlying cultural influence here which promotes "self-reliance" and the greatest lie ever told in all of human history: you reap what you sow.

Protestants didn't write Galatians. And Christianity in general doesn't promote self-reliance, it promotes reliance on God.

And I can think of far worse lies.

I wouldn't blame religion at all.

I would blame basic human nature. Don't care about anyone else on your romp to the top and then pretend to give a crap when someone you trampled on taps out of life.

Saving face is the underlying influence. Those worried about their own image can not be pinned down to specific religion, culture, or ethnicity.

It is simply a difference between those with integrity and those without.

I'm talking about the attitude that Amurcans have about refusing to give a sh*t about people who feel suicidal until it's too late....


Teen suicide is very much a cry for help that cannot be answered. Teens don't always do it cuz they're depressed or "stewpid", they often do it because they're under enormous stress from outside themselves and they reach a point where they cannot take it. Being bullied and/or ostracized by your peers, whether in school, online, or both, is a classic example of the kind of stress that causes teens to snap and self-destruct like this. But the last thing I will say about teen suicide is that teens who go through with it almost ALWAYS give out warning signs before hand.

I've never been middle class. I'm just (I suspect) much older than you, and have been through my share of "irreversible" circumstances that turned out not to be irreversible after all.
You know, there are all kinds of government agencies that help people go to school and find jobs and housing. There are also many private organizations that can help.

Do you live in the US? Because I do and I can tell you that those programs to help people find jobs DO NOT WORK. And a big reason why is because of something called recession. A job is not a right in the US, it is a selection process and even if there was perfectly equal opportunity that still does not beget equal outcome. NO employer is obligated to hire someone preferentially because they are disabled or belong to a minority group(especially in the private sector). You are correct that there are still government programs to help people go to school but you still have to find the dough to pay for your basic living expenses.

I don't give a damn how old you are or about your personal anecdotes. It is abundantly clear that the generations that came before mine actually had a whole host of opportunities that my generation missed out on. Now people are graduating from college chest deep in debt and unable to find employment. Perhaps the economy will improve and there will be another period of growth in the future, but until then things are just really f*cking tough for a lot of people and if you aren't one of them then count your blessings and appreciate your privilege.

If you are homeless, middle aged, have been homeless for decades, and unsuccessful at getting government assistance to meet your basic needs and escape. SSI and welfare aren't as widely available as you seem to think. Not even in liberal Washington. I think for young homeless people there is much more of a realistic chance of getting back on their feet but once you're not young anymore, society turns its back on you and you're considered a lost cause. The instinct to live is very powerful, but no matter what you may believe, it is not immutable and can be compromised.

People who truly want to kill themselves will find a way. Be it a car, a bus, a train or a 44 magnum, nothing you can do will stop them.

There are a lot of people though who are considering suicide because they don't see a better future, but there is one. My friend who's father was dying tried to kill herself, but she's happy now. All she needed was help accepting and getting over his death. Instead of asking for help, she tried to kill herself.

People care. It's the only crime you can be arrested for attempting, but not arrested for committing.

I kind of it see it as a drunk person. Would you let a drunk person jump off a bridge, or wait till he's sober to make that decision? If he sobers up and still wants to do it, fine. Same thing with suicide. Have them looked at, counseled, see if it can be improved, and if not, let them do it.

If people have a right to their own lives then they have a right to their own deaths, as long as they do not endanger or impose an expense on others by their actions.

ruveyn