TO Be, or not(TO WANT)to be: (IS THAT THE QUESTION?)?

Question

Have you known someone who has committed suicide? Would you care to share your experience(s)?

I know that this is a disturbing topic; but when one gets on in life, it is encountered more and more often these days.

But not only amongst the elderly, but seemingly in the very young; which is even more disturbing.

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions as to how we as a society can better respond, than we have been currently?

Wotan

Thanks for the four responses received so for. "Tehabwa": one would think that the almost daily reports in the media, would be more than sufficent to substantiate that it has become more common than in previous generations.

Do you genuinely disagree with this presumption?
Wotan

Answer 1

Yes, but I didn't know him well. I knew him when he was 11 (I was a few years older) -- the child of friends of my parents. He killed himself at around 17 or so.

What's your evidence for saying it's more common "these days"?

Things that could be done?

Rescue children from abusive and neglectful homes, and give them therapy to help them heal from the damage caused thereby.

Much more widespread and accurate knowledge of psychology. There are people who have studied people, and learned a lot. Most people don't know much about all that's now known, and much supposed knowledge is flat-out false.

Helping others (besides children) who've been through the sorts of experiences that mangle them, to heal.

Finding a way to only grant licenses to do therapy to the truly theraputic. (There are a lot of "Rent a Friend" people posing as therapists, unfortunately, as well as a lot of damaged people who haven't healed, and so damage their clients.)

Sufficient use of pain medications for people in pain. I've heard doctors underprescribe due to fear of creating addiction, or fear of being sued. More widespread knowledge of other ways of dealing with chronic pain.

These are what I've come up with. Now to read what others have said.

Answer 2

Its too easy for the young to get all melodramatic about things. These are the stupidest suicides. For older people it is a lack of hope and energy and forgetting that each moment of life, each tiny thing of beauty is the most valuable thing in the universe to a human being and these things are free to every living person.

Answer 3

Attention and consideration is the most important for the young generations. Meanwhile, stress is the roots of this action for the senior citizens.

Answer 4

Education and recognition from the parents