To ends one life is not selfish…
Posted: December 14, 2006 at 11.18 amFiled under Blogging Subscribe to comments
"To end one’s life is not selfish; it is the
ultimate personal act of independence and self induced cure that no one
else can prescribe."
A controversial subject, or at least one with the most stigma. It’s not
a subject to be taken lightly at the best of times, yet it seems the
people who seem intent on commentating are the ones who assume that
people who do take it upon themselves to end the misery are acting in a
most irresponsible and selfish way. Maybe I am just as guilty as I
stereotype and pigeon hole these commentators. Whatever. All I know is
that, for the most part, taking your own life is probably the least
selfish thing someone can do.
To end one’s life is not selfish; it is the
ultimate personal act of independence and self induced cure that no one
else can prescribe.
I have never attempted suicide although I do now have a ‘closer’
understanding of someone who has than someone who has not suffered from
a mental health issue or other significant personal challenge.
It scares me, that at times I was having ’suicidal idealizations - thoughts’, I was unable to, or didn’t want to take action on these thoughts. This was at a time when I was experiencing the worse depressive episode ever. But even at this point, that I reaslied, I was not even close to feeling the sheer desperation that someone must be feeling to actually end a life.
Was I even close?
I don’t think I was, at least with hindsight I can say that. Ofcourse at the time I was ‘as close’ as I ever have been. It disturbed me that I wondered how much further down this pit of terror must I go before I get to a point where the only sure cure is to ‘end it all’.
After all, at this point and beyond, no one can help. You can only help yourself. In my mind, it takes courage and a severe longing to not want to hurt anymore.
Someone just doesn’t go an commit suicide because they had a bad day at the office, yet it is often treated with this flippant uncaring and and unknowing attitude by so many other people. I personally think it is ‘they’ who are acting selfishly.
