We need a more open conversation in society about suicide

[enterthechair]

I find it refreshing that this forum has a section to discuss suicidality. I feel like most forums on the internet dismiss the discussion. They post the copy-n-paste boilerplate with the hotline numbers. Or they close the threads. Or you see 20 comments saying the same exact thing. Nobody says "Why do you feel this way? What cause this? How can we help".

I feel like nearly every other neurological condition or traumatic topic has open discussions, but one of the most tragic problems that affects people is taboo.

It's hard to talk about in real life (what if it leaks out to your social circle, family, workplace).

Online, the discussions are shut down.

Therapy can be immensely helpful and also carries risks at the same time (they may misinterpret you and not only break confidentiality). If someone has this kind of experience with a therapist, it may discourage them from therapy altogether.

There are hotlines, but those only last for 15 mins and the goal is just to patch up the immediate crisis at hand. It's not a long-term fix. If your problems are severe enough, they might hospitalize you. And if your problems are not severe enough, they'll put you on hold.

And lastly, hospitalization which is really just to keep someone there a week and clear someone for safety purposes - not really helping them get the tools they need to succeed in the real world.

Basically, nobody wants to be the last person someone talked to before they unalived themselves, so this is perhaps why they are passed around like a hot potato. Nobody wants to take the liability.

I feel like some of the people who have unalived themselves would probably be here today if they were actually heard by other people and not so quickly dismissed.

 

[Dark.Green.Feathers]

Yeah, it’s one of those things most people don’t want to touch/discuss… despite it being a fairly common experience in this world to have -at least- suicidal ideation, at some point.

Think there’s some nuance to it (suicides inspiring other suicides of similar manner, spaces where suicide is sensationalised/idolised/glorified…) but in general it should be a more open conversation, so people aren’t afraid to reach out.
Stereotypes about people who (seem to) have a comfortable lifestyle/good family/etc not being able to be depressed/traumatised/suicidal is a big deal.
So is the assumption that suicidality in young people is “attention seeking” and somehow manupulative/bad behaviour.

The idea it’s either forbidden to talk about or reserved for specific kinds of people (war vets, whatever), or that it’s a personal failure makes it very hard to have a candid conversation about it.

I think the general public are in their infancy of understanding suicide/suicidality, despite it not being a rare experience to be in proximity to, or experience… a lot of people still believe if your immediate circumstances are good, it’s illogical to be suicidal. I think an understanding of trauma is needed to get a better understanding of suicide….


It shouldn’t be taboo.
I think some of it starts with us not saying “unalived”.

 

[gorgonzola]

It's the almighty dollar. It's advertisers not wanting their product to appear next to discussions or other content about suicide. Hence demonetisation when content creators mention suicide or censorship when site moderators come across discussion, and the workaround of "unalived".

Hear that? That's the sound of myptsd.com not being beholden to advertisers. Thank you, staff and donors.

Yeah, it’s one of those things most people don’t want to touch/discuss… despite it being a fairly common experience in this world to have -at least- suicidal ideation, at some point.

You made me want to look that up: lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation is 9.2% worldwide.