Why Do Some Consider Suicide Selfish?

[The End]

I very much share Teelie's thoughts in this regard.

I'd like to add that, it doesn't make sense to call suicide selfish. Depression is a mental illness. It's like calling someone selfish for getting cancer. You wouldn't guilt someone for getting cancer, so why would you guilt someone that's depressed?

To call suicide selfish is assigning some sort of moral intent or motive onto the individual that doesn't really make sense. To feel so bad about yourself that you want to end it is a terrible burden to bear.

Fortunately, I do think that attitudes towards suicide are changing for the better. Death is tragic, and people can grieve for the person that has passed, without resenting them. In the same way that you wouldn't resent someone that died of cancer. Depression is an illness. Some people happen to lose their fight against that illness. It doesn't mean we should think less of them. In fact, its entirely irrational, and unnecessarily mean-spirited, to think less of them and assign silly moral judgements onto them.

 

[chaseter]

No one decides to die of cancer. You do however decide to commit suicide. While your thought process and mental capacity to make sound sound choices are wildly skewed for a person with depression, it is still a choice and depression is very much curable as it's a chemical imbalance. Don't equate someone dying on a bed with cancer to someone killing themselves. You can't talk a person down from their cancer death bed.

That's why it's very important to know the signs of depression and get that person help. It's very much a manageable condition. We are all depressed at some point in our lives. Mine was about 10 years ago when I slept in until 1pm every day, called into work sick all the time, missed a lot of my college classes, resulting in mediocre grades. I lived alone and thought at one point that my life was terrible.

 

[-Arya-]

It's manageable if you have those resources at your disposal, but that is only part of the equation. For many people, their condition doesn't improve and that exacerbates the situation. Resiliency to depression depends on your environment (both the one in which you were raised as well as the current living situation you find yourself in) and your genetics. Some are simply more genetically predisposed to the illness than others are, and thus cannot bounce back as effectively as someone else that has a weaker predisposition. You say that you make a decision to commit suicide, but does that statement really make any sense when someone has a stronger propensity to develop the disorder in the first place? Did they have any choice in the matter?

 

[chaseter]

You still decide to end your life. You don't pass away from depression.

 

[Sundancer]

The act of suicide causes pain and suffering to your friends, family, loved ones, fans, etc. to end your own pain and suffering. It's a very selfish act. The decision to act upon those urges I am sure is complicated be it depression, anger, remorse, imbalances, etc. I just wish they had the capacity to see how their decision will affect others before they take irreparable action. That said, we can still remember the good times and mourn for said friends and family.

AGAIN


That assumes that everyone's relationship with their "loved ones" is close and that all people mourn the same. Some may feel their loved one is at peace.

This is my problem with calling it selfish--there is a blanket statement being made against all suicidal people and their relationships.

 

[-Arya-]

You still decide to end your life. You don't pass away from depression.

Sometimes you can, though indirectly. Depression not only brings emotional turmoil, but it also causes other disturbances to your body as well (physical pain, irregular sleep patterns, problems with appetite etc...). Your health can deteriorate badly due to a weakened immune system caused by high stress to your body (which usually occurs in clinical depression). I don't personally know of any cases like that, but it's theoretically possible.

 

[chaseter]

AGAIN


That assumes that everyone's relationship with their "loved ones" is close and that all people mourn the same. Some may feel their loved one is at peace.

This is my problem with calling it selfish--there is a blanket statement being made against all suicidal people and their relationships.

So we can condone suicide as long as no one loves that person...

 

[The Endless]

Fact is, the person committing suicide doesn't have to deal with the consequences of their actions.

Everyone that is left behind does.

I still sympathize in a way. But yea, i do think it is a selfish action.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

I wasn't brought up to believe it was selfish, but more stupid. Hear me out

Every problem ends, it may be hard but it can always end, you can always start again, even if it means losing everything, moving, the bullies will go away etc, but with suicide there is no coming back you gave up and I was always brought up to never give up and always fight. You're no alone in this world and other need and count on you so you don't just give up on yourself but them as well

I've had mild depression never anything major just more like really poor self confidence hell if anyone if getting digs in about me I'm usually the one that starts it. I always make a joke about it but there was a time and it's still there that I'm over critical of my work, or I have a train of thought that I'm never good enough to talk to the girl of scared to simply say **** it and make the mistake

The one time I did ever think about just ending it, it was fleeting as all I could think about how it would effect the people left behind having you deal with all of my problem and I just couldn't let them do that.

All I remember is this voice in my head saying you do this and it's over, every bastard that has ever thought bad or put you down is right and you never ever let them ****ers wins


I have major sympathy for anyone suffering depression as you can never tell what is actually going on in there mind but I just can not understand doing something like this


And I think that is where the whole ohh it's selfish mind set comes from, we don't understand it so we as humans push an emotion we understand on to it.

 

[Sundancer]

So we can condone suicide as long as no one loves that person...

I'm saying don't assume you know what other people's relationships are like.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

As a person who suffers from recurring depression, I been down that road with bad bouts.

I think the main problem is the stigma and lack of information.

Its an illness and should be treated like one.
I recall a doctor giving me pills and sending me home.
He didn't try to make sense of things. Why my mind and body were reacting the way the were.

I've educated myself (key problem; had to educate my self) and I have tricks in my bag when I do have a bout.

I don't think selfish act to end your life. Feeling tired, mentally drained with intrusive thoughts, lack of feeling excitement or happiness and displeasure in things you use to love makes you feel like a walking corpse with no function but to watch people worry about you as you shove pills with down your throat with awful side effects.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I have dealt with 2 suicides in my family. The first was my uncle and he went crazy with jealousy accusing my aunt of cheating and was very petty and childish during the divorce. He killed himself simply to spite my aunt and gave no consideration to his daughter, my cousin. I consider that a selfish suicide.

My other cousin had severe depression and left behind two young daughters. She had been seeing a psychologist and trying out anti-depressants but didn't find one that worked in time. Sadly it can take months to find the right combo of meds that relieve the depression. It's more or less a guessing game since meds react differently with everyone and take time to build in your system. I don't consider what she did selfish because she didn't mean to hurt our family but felt the world was too much to handle. I still think of her often because she was a great person. I don't feel it's right to blame someone suffering from a chemical imbalance they can not control.