Suicide . . .

[shivvy]

Following on from a thread in the news section, has anyone ever thought about suicide, and if so:
1) why did you think about it?
2) how would you have done it?, and
3) why did you not do it?

[Lakitu]

He's just rude and scathing to hide that fact he fancies you, Salla. Wasn't the boys at shool who gave you a punch on the arm that had a secret crush....? ;o)

[Lakitu]

That's not something you could ever 'get over'. Learning to live with it and getting over it are 2 different things entirely.

[sara3]

I hate to even consider it, nk.. but if it was me I'm sure I would never "get over it". some people have no idea...

[4getmenot]

I think we've all thought 'whet if I wernt here' at some point. But I wouldnt never consider it ever unless I had some illness I think its really selfish, and I would never hurt my family like that Also I have lost 4 mates now from suicide. But no one can say how or what they were feeling to be that low to do that. Some just slipped away by pills others did it in a way I would never ever consider

[Bbbananas]

you're right Lakitu - I always ignored the ones I really fancied, or I was rude to them because I'd have been mortified for them to have known that I really did fancy them. Weren't we stupid?! (And things have never changed for me on that score... maybe that's why my lovelife has been a little erratic?)

No-Know - you look lovely when you have a flush on xx

[andy-hughes]

I have intimate experience of the concept of suicide from both sides.

I was a Samaritan for three years, and found out a lot about the mind-set of people who want to, or indeed do take their lives.

Twenty years ago I had a complete mental breakdown and i was hospitalised for three months, and off work for nearly a year.

I came as close as possible to taking my life, and I learned a few basic facts to which the rest of the population do not have access.

It is not a 'brave' or 'cowardly' act - it is an act of control. It takes back control of the pain for just a few seconds, and in the case of a violent death, it hits back at the pain with finality, an attractive proposition if your mind is in that state - where living for ten more seconds is simply intolerable.

Thouhts of family or friends, of the consequences simply don;t enter into it. At that stage, your mind is totally isolated and shut down - any thoughts of external help (Why didn;t he talk to me?) are long gone, it's just about the isolation and tne pain, there is nothing else.

I got past it, I am on medication for life. I do have seriously bad times that leave me unable to function, but i get past them, and I'm still here.

So if anyone close to you takes their life - know there was nothing you could do, it wasn;t selfish or stupid or attention-seeking, it was about release from the pain, killing the pain, and they are out of that now.

It's a dreadful situation that drives people to escape in this way, but it is real, and misunderstood, and desparate, and it could happen to anyone if the circumstances are there - you simply have to be desparate enough.

To answer your points -

I would have jumped under one of the seriously fast artics that drove past the hospital gates every day.

I am mentally strong, I hung on and fought my way through it, and

[20SilkCut]

Andy - thanks for being able to post about your experience. My work experience also concludes that it is 'trying to get away from the intolerable pain that just wont go away' and as you say, few think about what they leave behind. I'm glad you have managed to come through this and are here to tell the tale. I think its a subject that should be talked about more openly and honestly.

[shivvy]

Wow - what fascinating, tragic and hopeful posts.
I wish good mental health to everyone.