Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
Hello,
I was reading some of the posts in the crisis forum today and I noticed some people were talking about committing suicide a certain way. The posters responding offered support and helpful insights, but some also mentioned more effective ways to kill yourself.
I realize people say it in an attempt to share and show the suicidal person that they too have experienced those feelings. However, giving ideas of more effective ways to someone who is suicidal is not wise.
You never know when that person might use the idea!
Please keep this in mind when posting. It is great to talk about suicide and it can and has often saved lives, but talking about methods to kill yourself is dangerous when you're dealing with suicidal people.
I was reading some of the posts in the crisis forum today and I noticed some people were talking about committing suicide a certain way. The posters responding offered support and helpful insights, but some also mentioned more effective ways to kill yourself.
I realize people say it in an attempt to share and show the suicidal person that they too have experienced those feelings. However, giving ideas of more effective ways to someone who is suicidal is not wise.
You never know when that person might use the idea!
Please keep this in mind when posting. It is great to talk about suicide and it can and has often saved lives, but talking about methods to kill yourself is dangerous when you're dealing with suicidal people.
I agree completely. As I said, people actually are trying to help so it is not intentional at all.
I've made that mistake too. I just wanted to share what I learned.
I don't mean to discourage anyone from helping. I just think we should be careful about how we help.
Take care,
I don't think anyone meant to offer suggestions on how to commit suicide. I think people just wanted to share their own experience with suicidal thoughts/actions.
The problem is that the information can be misused by people who are feeling suicidal.
I did not mean my post to be judgmental or accusatory. I just wanted to suggest we all be more careful with what we tell people who feel suicidal.
Blessings,
I guess good people mean well, but we all need to watch what we say in certain situations. I try to go over what I've written if something I'm saying doesn't seem right to me, and I hope others do, as well. In that way, it's good that we're behind a computer and have a while to think about what we want to say, or don't want tosay.
Myself, I would feel absolutely horrible if I leaked information like that. I wouldn't forgive myself, even though I envy the dead. I hope that'll never happen.
By the way, I had a really good doctor awhile back...um, notify (warn) me of a way with a 50% chance of a successful suicide, unintentionally; I told him that he probably shouldn't tell his other patients that, but he meant it as a precaution. He was a really great doctor, one of the best. He was really good with me and knew I didn't abuse medications or drugs, and I'm pretty sure he knew that I meant what I said that I'd never commit suicide. Yeah...not everyone means ill of saying stuff like that. And in his defense, he already knew I had one with a 100% chance of being successful.
Thanks a lot for posting this. This is one of the topics I'd like to see get "bumped" up regularly, like WanderingVet's topic for new members.
Hi :) HUGS
However, there have been times when I was not in my right mind and in a state of despair I felt I was capable of hurting myself and risked causing more damage than I intended because I was just out of control. In those moments, remembering ways to commit suicide effectively would be dangerous.
So even if we know someone would not do it, if they ever have those thoughts and suffer from mood problems, they are always at risk of acting on those thoughts in a moment of despair. Most people who kill themselves did not plan it. It is often done by impulse in a moment of despair when people are not in control of their emotions...
Perhaps, if you haven't already, put this on the main board as well since there's a more active group and some in this situation don't post on the crisis board.
I'm sure no one that has shared what they'd tried was meant to tell someone else what might work but when another person is in that bad of a shape, it can easily be misconstrued as a "how to".