Musings about how we deal with the concept of “suicidal ideation.”

[BackAgain]

The is just a musing. I HOPE this preface is clear:

My thread is absolutely NOT about me thinking about killing myself.

But here’s the thing: I understand that, in modern medical/psychological opinion, even “thinking about” suicide is considered a “danger signal.” While I think it’s a safer policy to act accordingly with that view, I’m not sure it is (in itself) all that valid.

It is my opinion that probably MOST people have considered the nature of “suicide” WITHOUT having considered “offing themselves.”

 

[1srelluc]

My grandad offed himself by sucking on a 12 ga. I'm the one who found him.

He was eat-up with cancer so I understood but I'd not want anyone that I know to find me like that.

Oddly enough I don't remember much about what his head looked like because I but a burlap sack over it before the SD and EMT arrived....It was mostly just a flesh sack.

What I remember most was his brain, almost intact, resting on the windowsill of the window in the garden shed.....I just buried it, along with parts of his skull I found in the dirt floor of the shed.

We tore-down/burned the garden shed the next day and cut some sod down by the branch and put on top. A month or two later you could hardly tell the shed was ever there.

 

[BackAgain]

My grandad offed himself by sucking on a 12 ga. I'm the one who found him.

He was eat-up with cancer so I understood but I'd not want anyone that I know to find me like that.

Oddly enough I don't remember much about what his head looked like because I but a burlap sack over it before the SD and EMT arrived....It was mostly just a flesh sack.

What I remember most was his brain, almost intact, resting on the windowsill of the window in the garden shed.....I just buried it, along with parts of his skull I found in the dirt floor of the shed.

We tore-down/burned the garden shed the next day and cut some sod down by the branch and put on top. A month or two later you could hardly tell the shed was ever there.

I was initially (but not reasonably) angry with Robin Williams for having killed himself.

After a little reflection, though, given his serious mental disease and how it was ruining his life, I came to my senses and realized that none of us are really in a position like him — or like anyone who has come to the end of their own roads.

I believe that one of the worst things about suicide is how it impacts the victim’s loved ones.

 

[odanny]

This is a horrible story, the father (and other son) tried to save one son from suicide and all three were killed.

 

[odanny]

After a little reflection, though, given his serious mental disease and how it was ruining his life, I came to my senses and realized that none of us are really in a position like him — or like anyone who has come to the end of their own roads.

If anyone had a reason to struggle through and learn to live with depression it was Williams. The guy had a family and a fortune to go with it. He didn't need the money, didn't need to perform on stage anymore, could have kept a low profile and learned to be happy again.

His problem was substance abuse. The problem with that route is while you gain temporary relief you only make your problems worse in the long run. Interesting what the toxicology report revealed after his death.

 

[BackAgain]

If anyone had a reason to struggle through and learn to live with depression it was Williams. The guy had a family and a fortune to go with it. He didn't need the money, didn't need to perform on stage anymore, could have kept a low profile and learned to be happy again.

His problem was substance abuse. The problem with that route is while you gain temporary relief you only make your problems worse in the long run. Interesting what the toxicology report revealed after his death.

No. His problem was a Lewy body version of dementia. It s strongly believed that his depression over that significant health problem is what led him to suicide.

 

[MayorQuimby]

It is my opinion that probably MOST people have considered the nature of “suicide” WITHOUT having considered “offing themselves.”

Having suicidal ideation is not the same as contemplating the nature of suicide. It's about having real thoughts of killing oneself, one just hasn't done anything yet.

I was initially (but not reasonably) angry with Robin Williams for having killed himself.

Why? Is it because he didn't clear it with you first?

After a little reflection, though, given his serious mental disease and how it was ruining his life, I came to my senses and realized that none of us are really in a position like him — or like anyone who has come to the end of their own roads.

I am sure now that he has your understanding, he can rest easy.

I believe that one of the worst things about suicide is how it impacts the victim’s loved ones.

I see; so does this mean that no matter how bad a person has it, he has to not kill himself and just go on living his shitty life, otherwise it would hurt his loved ones, and this doesn't sit well with you?

 

[odanny]

No. His problem was a Lewy body version of dementia. It s strongly believed that his depression over that significant health problem is what led him to suicide.

Compounded by substance abuse.

Quick story: My coworkers wife was a psychologist, and one of her former colleagues worked in California and was familiar with Williams. What I heard third/fourth hand is that Williams medication leveled him out that he could not perform, he could not be his typical frantic self onstage, so he didn't take it, and used drugs instead.

Perhaps there is a cumulative effect.

 

[BackAgain]

Compounded by substance abuse.

Quick story: My coworkers wife was a psychologist, and one of her former colleagues worked in California and was familiar with Williams. What I heard third/fourth hand is that Williams medication leveled him out that he could not perform, he could not be his typical frantic self onstage, so he didn't take it, and used drugs instead.

Perhaps there is a cumulative effect.

I don’t deny what I read about him. He evidently did abuse some controlled substances.

But what he was diagnosed with (and its effects) seem to be the root cause for his major depression and suicide.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Suicide is an unforgivable sin. I was suicidal for 10 years and am still having thoughts though the meds control them, took 10 years to find right meds though. I just laid down and prayed whenever it got too bad for me to handle. I made it anyone can.

 

[whitehall]

It was alleged that the Columbine shooters were dosed with personality altering meds by the system but the focus was on guns at the time. Mood altering medication acts in strange ways on the adolescent mind. The side effects of some depression medication is reported to be thoughts of suicide (and murder?). It looks like they don't even keep statistics on it but they still advertise the junk.

 

[odanny]

Not heard that about Columbine but I honestly wonder, if that were true, that this served a wake up call to Big Pharm, as the same way Perdue did with Oxy. It would have been all behind closed doors type of shit, carefully hidden from public review.

 

[BackAgain]

Suicide is an unforgivable sin. I was suicidal for 10 years and am still having thoughts though the meds control them, took 10 years to find right meds though. I just laid down and prayed whenever it got too bad for me to handle. I made it anyone can.

Sorry you went through that long haul of shit. But, you ended up with a great dose of survival instincts and skills.

Some people are not made with that degree of mettle.

 

[MayorQuimby]

Suicide is an unforgivable sin. I was suicidal for 10 years and am still having thoughts though the meds control them, took 10 years to find right meds though. I just laid down and prayed whenever it got too bad for me to handle. I made it anyone can.

Not true. You have no idea what other people go through. Maybe the stuff you went through is terrible, but there is always a chance someone is going through something even more terrible.

I am not one to advocate suicide, and I am always for helping people, but I acknowledge that there are cases where life is truly unimaginably un-livable, that no amount of medication or talk therapy can alleviate. In which case, I can really understand why someone might choose to kill themselves. This is the last bit of control they have over their shitty lives. They don't need any crap like "you will be hurting the people you love", "you are selfish for trying to kill yourself", "suicide is a sin" added onto their already miserable existence. Let people die with peace.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Not true. You have no idea what other people go through. Maybe the stuff you went through is terrible, but there is always a chance someone is going through something even more terrible.

I am not one to advocate suicide, and I am always for helping people, but I acknowledge that there are cases where life is truly unimaginably un-livable, that no amount of medication or talk therapy can alleviate. In which case, I can really understand why someone might choose to kill themselves. This is the last bit of control they have over their shitty lives. They don't need any crap like "you will be hurting the people you love", "you are selfish for trying to kill yourself", "suicide is a sin" added onto their already miserable existence. Let people die with peace.

You are wrong