Kitty3780
Not right in the head
Time to Change our own attitudes and make a difference?
Wow... had to trawl through a lot of stuff to get to this reasoned response and I totally agree with you. What we need to do is draw attention to the reasons why people consider taking their own life as an option. While mental distress plays a major factor, for many elderly people loneliness and isolation are major factors and we do not recognise the real value that smiling at people in the street and taking an interest in their wellbeing can have to help reduce feelings of distress and allow people to feel that they are able to continue living in a very cruel and selfish world.
I personally live with manic depression and for many years contemplated taking my own life. I am now in a much more stable mindset, but at the time this seemed the best course of action, though I was fully aware of the emotional trauma this would cause to those around me (one of the reasons I held back). Yes, suicide can be seen as immensely selfish, but when you are gripped by enduring mental distress it may be the most obvious option, especially when mental health services are often woefully inadequate and many people experience stigma and discrimination when they approach other's for help, including friends, family and even the so-called professionals.
If the world generally was a less selfish place and people, of any age, were given less grief for being different then a lot less people would see suicide as the best course of action. We'd also have more socially minded services for people living with any debilitating illness (including mental distress) which would help people adjust to getting older, but ultimately, when you reach a certain age, you may feel that you are ready to go, so why force people to stay alive beyond their wishes. There is a clear difference between suicide and euthanasia and I think we need to recognise there will always be a desire for both. Ultimately it boils down to the individual and we have to look at why people reached that decision. It might not be right for us, but it might be right for them.
One thing we can all do is try to make some differences in our own lives and start talking to one another and being more positive about life with each other and those around us. Hopefully this will mean people feel that they can be more forthcoming when they're struggling to cope with life and maybe, just maybe, we can support one another and ensure less people take the final option.
If you live in England, why not sign up to support the Time to Change campaign and help reduce stigma and discrimination to those, like me, who live with mental distress every day... go on, see if you can make a difference!
http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
Wow... had to trawl through a lot of stuff to get to this reasoned response and I totally agree with you. What we need to do is draw attention to the reasons why people consider taking their own life as an option. While mental distress plays a major factor, for many elderly people loneliness and isolation are major factors and we do not recognise the real value that smiling at people in the street and taking an interest in their wellbeing can have to help reduce feelings of distress and allow people to feel that they are able to continue living in a very cruel and selfish world.
I personally live with manic depression and for many years contemplated taking my own life. I am now in a much more stable mindset, but at the time this seemed the best course of action, though I was fully aware of the emotional trauma this would cause to those around me (one of the reasons I held back). Yes, suicide can be seen as immensely selfish, but when you are gripped by enduring mental distress it may be the most obvious option, especially when mental health services are often woefully inadequate and many people experience stigma and discrimination when they approach other's for help, including friends, family and even the so-called professionals.
If the world generally was a less selfish place and people, of any age, were given less grief for being different then a lot less people would see suicide as the best course of action. We'd also have more socially minded services for people living with any debilitating illness (including mental distress) which would help people adjust to getting older, but ultimately, when you reach a certain age, you may feel that you are ready to go, so why force people to stay alive beyond their wishes. There is a clear difference between suicide and euthanasia and I think we need to recognise there will always be a desire for both. Ultimately it boils down to the individual and we have to look at why people reached that decision. It might not be right for us, but it might be right for them.
One thing we can all do is try to make some differences in our own lives and start talking to one another and being more positive about life with each other and those around us. Hopefully this will mean people feel that they can be more forthcoming when they're struggling to cope with life and maybe, just maybe, we can support one another and ensure less people take the final option.
If you live in England, why not sign up to support the Time to Change campaign and help reduce stigma and discrimination to those, like me, who live with mental distress every day... go on, see if you can make a difference!
http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
