81–90 of 344 posts
I’m usually not that affected by celebrity deaths but this one really hit me hard :(
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think OP was implying you should attempt to counsel the person. You don't need experience to check in on friends and coworkers if they seem off. Ask them if they're having thoughts of hurting themselves. Listen to their answer. If they are, encourage them to seek professional help; whether that is giving them the information to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or assisting in get…
Has anyone done this and had success? As someone who has dealt with suicidal thoughts for years and continues to struggle with it, it wouldn’t do me any good. I’d lie and act like it’s a ridiculous question, and then I’d probably be binge drinking for the next week from the stress and paranoia from being “found out”.
Really, really horrible news. The anecdotal data is really starting to pile up in my mind- Chester Bennington, Chris Cornell, Kate Spade, Anthony Bourdain... ... suicide is all too common in our world, and some professions (especially doctors) are affected more than others. All of the money and fame in the world cannot protect you from the depths of your mind. I hope that anyone struggling with this affliction can kn…
All the money and fame in the world doesn't do much protecting at all: it can lock you in the depths of your mind. Imagine a situation where every interaction you have with other people is fawning or fraudulent. Where all day, every day, someone is either kissing your ass or wiping your ass. Nothing is genuine. Nothing can be trusted. Everyone wants to use you to their own ends. Fame and the life it brings seems desi…
Water that is wet is also dry, and water that is dry is also wet!
>, I can only hope that people as a whole start seeing it as a complex issue and the stigma of mental issues and stress can lessen so that people can get help Possibly inappropriate - but why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Am I not the master of my own existence and do I not have the right to make a decision on it without…
If I recall correctly, a majority of people who have 'failed' suicide (for lack of a better term) have stated that they immediately regretted attempting once it hits the point of no return.
This is just an assumption, but I think the will to live greatly outweighs the desire to take your own life. Of course their are outliers (I'm thinking of Samurai Suicides performed in front of audiences) but I don't know if there's any resources that talk about their mental health.
If anyone as any counter points I'd love to hear them - but for the most part I think suicide stems from mental instability or an otherwise inevitable physical death (terminal illness, old age, etc).
One other reason it may be linked with mental health, is the fact that if mental illness is not a factor - what is driving these decisions? I can't imagine that people come to the logical 'master of my own existence' that you mention.
It's a very interesting subject, when you take the horror an tragedy out of it. Also curious what other species have high suicide rates, or if its a primarily human affliction (don't have time to dig around on this right now).
>, I can only hope that people as a whole start seeing it as a complex issue and the stigma of mental issues and stress can lessen so that people can get help Possibly inappropriate - but why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Am I not the master of my own existence and do I not have the right to make a decision on it without…
I involuntarily gasped for air. This isn't someone I expected would die for a long time. Depression is a silent beast, and the stigma around talking about these problems is fatal as ever. Anthony was inspirational to me in part because, among many reasons, though he lived his life in a very unusual way he was still successful and always adventurous. The world has suffered a great loss today.
If this is indeed a depression-based suicide (I haven't read all of the details yet; they probably aren't even fully available), then it makes a rather profound statement about depression, because who didn't like this guy? Everyone really liked him, and he has produced years of excellent programming.
In a lot of ways this make sense to me, he was probably under a lot of pressure to be the guy that everyone really liked. Created this unrealistic expectation that was stressful to meet. Add in poor habits, maybe strained relationship and friends to lean on. It's not hard for people to feel like there is not point in going on with life.
EDIT: I am open to being wrong and invite a discussion of others opinions.
If your friends or coworkers seem off, check in on them. Everyone needs to know it’s ok to not be ok.
I'll qualify that with - only if you know what you are doing. If someone is struggling in the deep sea, dive in to help only if you have experience swimming in the deep sea. This stuff is not simple and can have lifelong negative effects on both parties if done wrong.
There is reasonably strong evidence to suggest that social connectedness has a substantial protective effect on suicide risk. Just asking "Hey, how are you?" and making time to listen can make a meaningful difference to someone in distress.
https://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/Suicide_Strategic...
>, I can only hope that people as a whole start seeing it as a complex issue and the stigma of mental issues and stress can lessen so that people can get help Possibly inappropriate - but why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Am I not the master of my own existence and do I not have the right to make a decision on it without…
Because suicide is almost always preceded by years of mental health problems.
I involuntarily gasped for air. This isn't someone I expected would die for a long time. Depression is a silent beast, and the stigma around talking about these problems is fatal as ever. Anthony was inspirational to me in part because, among many reasons, though he lived his life in a very unusual way he was still successful and always adventurous. The world has suffered a great loss today.
Very sad, indeed. The same age as another author and larger than life figure, Ernest Hemingway.
>, I can only hope that people as a whole start seeing it as a complex issue and the stigma of mental issues and stress can lessen so that people can get help Possibly inappropriate - but why do people immediately link suicide and mental illness? Why do we stand in judgement declaring it wrong to decide ones own fate? Am I not the master of my own existence and do I not have the right to make a decision on it without…
Surely the mental anguish that drives someone to take their own life qualifies as a mental illness. We are not talking about someone who chose to die rather than continuing a painful fight against a terminal illness. Maybe it's rational to take your own life if you are suffering so deeply from depression. Maybe that's a choice we should respect. But that respect doesn't mean that the underlying suffering isn't an ill…
I am afraid you don't understand chronic depression. At all.