Thoughts of suicide...

[vermillion2083]

I didnt actually encourage, Read the white text. All I did was tell him not to call a help the line

Dont call help line. If you want to kill yourself that badly, kill yourself.

Do it do it do it!

I don't know if you were serious or not, but both of these statements can be taken seriously by someone who is truely having a hard time in life. I'm not giving you shit Anti-Basic, Just feel that there is a difference between stating your opinion and saying something dangerous. But your opinion is valid none the less.

 

[HellRazor]

On the topic at hand:

I think most people have thought about it at one time or another. We're human beings, life is tough sometimes, and we have active minds that sometimes fantasize, dream up scenarios, second guess ourselves, and ask "what if". Depression and hard times can make you feel sometimes like giving up. So I think general thoughts about it are somewhat normal. I doubt there are too many people who haven't wondered at one time or another if they might be better off gone, or if the world would be better off, or "what if".

If you dwell on it frequently, or give serious thought to it, then that might be a sign of a problem. Depression especially can make people not act rationally. Facination with death and suicide can be signs of a mental disorder. Additionally, a lot of people who are suicidal don't really want to die, sometimes they are facinated with the idea of dying, or seeking attention, or making a cry for help. People in that frame of mind sometimes kill themselves accidentally, or something pushes them over that final hurdle - once you have basically said "I'm going to kill myself" then some people can be easily pushed over that line, sometimes just to prove they will follow through.

So let's just say for a minute that there's nothing morally wrong with suicide. Even so, anyone who feels like they are suicidal should probably seek out some help from a physician because you should definately know for sure whether its something you really want to do, or if it's depression or some other medical condition that makes you feel that way. Those conditions do not lend themselves to rational thought. Goes back to my previous statements about depression in general in another topic. You only get one shot at life and then it's over, it would be a shame to snuff it out over something as simple as a chemical imbalance or a psychiatric condition of some sort.

All medical issues aside, the idea of suicide is really a pretty selfish thing when you think about it. By ending your life you basically rob the world of all of your future works and contributions, not to mention the effect it has on everyone who knows you. Things really are never as bad as our minds make them out to be, there is inspiration all around us if we just take the time to look.

My advice: You can either dwell on everything that is negative in the world, or step up and make the best of it. Appreciate all of the good things you have in your life. If you're constantly dwelling on death and suicidal thoughts, see a doctor, they won't bite, and they may actually be able to help you not feel that way. You have nothing at all to lose by doing that.

 

[shrundowr]

I don't know if you were serious or not, but both of these statements can be taken seriously by someone who is truely having a hard time in life. I'm not giving you shit Anti-Basic, Just feel that there is a difference between stating your opinion and saying something dangerous. But your opinion is valid none the less.

Only the last one matters, and you convienetly omitted the white text after it.

The first one, Saying that if you want to kill yourself, go ahead and kill yourself is not encouraging suicide at all, it is just telling someone that if they want to do something that badly, to do it. Which in this case, I feel they should.

 

[Vhaerun]

Maybe I'm just too old to understand. Why use the white text? Are you ashamed to write it, so you have to mask it? I don't understand why you would use the white text in an effort to hide what you are saying and then go back and use what you posted in white text as a defense of what you said in "regular" text.

Is it supposed to be "cool"? Is it so you can seem smarter to others because you can use colors to mask things you say?

I dunno, maybe it's just me. If you really were sorry and couldn't resist, why not state it openly? If it's something you use to be "cool" on an internet forum, then so be it. If it's something you do to make people have to search your posts for your true meanings, it smacks of a superiority complex. But using it as an excuse for something you say when your intentions were to hide the text originally, it seems weak to me.

 

[shrundowr]

umm...starbucks has been using whitetext for years...... and yes, you dont understand it at all

 

[Vhaerun]

Then explain it.

 

[shrundowr]

It signifies joking, hard to explain really, almost everyone uses it and has for years.

 

[Kamuflaro]

Maybe I'm just too old to understand. Why use the white text? Are you ashamed to write it, so you have to mask it? I don't understand why you would use the white text in an effort to hide what you are saying and then go back and use what you posted in white text as a defense of what you said in "regular" text.

Is it supposed to be "cool"? Is it so you can seem smarter to others because you can use colors to mask things you say?

I dunno, maybe it's just me. If you really were sorry and couldn't resist, why not state it openly? If it's something you use to be "cool" on an internet forum, then so be it. If it's something you do to make people have to search your posts for your true meanings, it smacks of a superiority complex. But using it as an excuse for something you say when your intentions were to hide the text originally, it seems weak to me.

What a waste of text... sometimes its a spoiler, sometimes it's meant to be cool or whatnot, but most of the time it's just fun, a joke... if you don't get it, so be it, jokes are a matter of taste. I wouldn't give ppl a hard time for their humor as long, as it doesn't offend me. Are you offended? rhetoric question, don't answer

P.S. I didn't read the posts ontopic, I'm not interested, I just read it for the flames...

 

[Vhaerun]

Just because "almost everyone uses it" and "has for years", it doesn't mean it's morally right.

Now I'm not one to say morals should be upheld in posts on an internet forum. Gods only know how many morally wrong things I have stated on the internet since 1993. Maybe my aversion to it comes from my own personal history and the fact that your post (minus the white text) seemed unfeeling and unnecessarily cruel. I'll explain.

Hypothetically, someone in the community is suicidal. They read the forum thread because, well, they're feeling down and depressed. First thing they read is Vermillion's opening post, then yours. Now further suppose this person is not a "regular" of Starbucks and doesn't know the 'joking code' of the forum. It pushes them a little further. Maybe not to the point of doing anything, but... every little stone is an added weight.

I'm not riling against the use of white text to make points, or to make fun of something. But if you truly are sorry, why not state it openly? If someone you knew (or cared about) was depressed, would you say that to them? Really?

Oh, I know, it's the internet, blah blah, who really cares.. I'm the only "real" person here, yadda yadda. I don't care what other people think of me, bleh blah, bleh. I'll state what I want and don't care who I hurt or what damage I could cause because it's all far away from me and I won't ever meet them... The only way the world can be a better place is by being a better person. That doesn't mean stop making jokes. Doesn't mean stop posting your opinions.

After seeing the white text, I can take it for what it is. It's a joke, and it's not without mirth. Someone else... dunno. All I'm saying is if you meant the apology, don't hide it.

 

[Vhaerun]

What a waste of text... sometimes its a spoiler, sometimes it's meant to be cool or whatnot, but most of the time it's just fun, a joke... if you don't get it, so be it, jokes are a matter of taste. I wouldn't give ppl a hard time for their humor as long, as it doesn't offend me. Are you offended? rhetoric question, don't answer

P.S. I didn't read the posts ontopic, I'm not interested, I just read it for the flames...

Okay, yeah, it was a bit inflammatory Got no problem with the joke and fun with the white text. Came out harsh... but then again, that's how AB plays
and it's "rhetorical" not "rhetoric"

 

[Twice]

This thread looks very familiar. And Bleach and Anti-Basic seem to be doing the same thing I did.

Very funny.

 

[AodhanW]

Okay, yeah, it was a bit inflammatory Got no problem with the joke and fun with the white text. Came out harsh... but then again, that's how AB plays
and it's "rhetorical" not "rhetoric"

Well, we *ARE* in Starbucks mate. Its all about bein' a shithead, because its fun. Prolly not the best place to start the post on Suicide, but to the post starters credit, he's also not given a great god damn about AB and Bleech. At least, not to the level of bein' offended.

And I'm familiar with white text as well, though I didn't check it, to be honest.

It really is just a way of saying something blatantly, and then adding emphasis of the sarcastic, sardonic, or merely humorous air.

 

[HellRazor]

Only the last one matters, and you convienetly omitted the white text after it.

The first one, Saying that if you want to kill yourself, go ahead and kill yourself is not encouraging suicide at all, it is just telling someone that if they want to do something that badly, to do it. Which in this case, I feel they should.

I respect your opinion, it just may not be the best way to express it, that's all. If you're saying "do it do it do it" and "if you want to kill yourself that badly, kill yourself, dont stop yourself from doing something if its what you really want", that's pretty encouraging to someone who is suicidal!

But luckily I don't seriously think anyone in here is *really* contemplating suicide (or at least I sure hope not). We're just discussing opinions and I know you're joking around (at least about the "do it do it" stuff).

Normally I'm all for jokes in bad taste (they are the best kind!) but this is a pretty serious topic started by someone who is depressed and I'd rather err on the side of caution then unintentionally contribute to someone killing themselves. If someone is going to do that I'd rather not be a contributing factor to it. It's a very dangerous thing to validate suicidal thoughts in a person. Yeah, some are just seeking attention and won't do it. For others, it may just be the final validation they need to make what could be a bad decision.

I'll agree that there are a lot of situations (especially with terminal illnesses) where suicide might be a better option for a person. Although I wasn't there, and of course no one really talks about it, I suspect my father's death was an assisted suicide. His health degenerated to the point to where he was bedridden and he could no longer eat or keep food from his I.V. down because of an issue with an old stomach operation that began causing him serious problems late in his life. He was in constant pain all the time. I think with the help of my mom he decided to unplug the I.V. and he passed away several days later. I don't know if that was the best thing. Part of me says he should have fought. But then, I wasn't going through the pain and misery my dad was going through, over a period of years and years, and a lot of those thoughts are selfish of me because its my loss that I mourn. It was obviously something he wanted, his quality of life had deteriorated to the point to where he HAD no quality of life other than to sit in a chair all day in agony, unable to walk, eat, or enjoy any aspect of his life. He preferred to end the pain and my mom supported his decision. It's difficult for me to accept because I miss him so much and it wasn't fair. And I couldn't be there, I was living out of state and I didn't really know about any of this until after he passed away. The last time I spoke to him on the phone he was delirious, I suspect because at that point he had been without food for several days and it was near the end. It haunts me.

Anyway - yeah there are times when death might be better in some situations. But the majority of people who kill themselves aren't suffering from any kind of terminal illness, they are suffering from a different type of illness, mostly depression.

I had a very good friend of mine kill himself. OD'd on prescriptions. I was one of the last people he talked to, he called me the day he did it. Of course he left no indication of what he was planning. He had medical issues too, but much less severe. Mostly problems with his back. I think it had more to do with depression. And it was such a waste because he was such a great guy, and there are still so many things he could have done. He was in his 30's. And now he's gone.

 

[siran]

This is probably the single most intensely personal issue that can ever be brought up. Nobody asked to come in to this world. Most of us resist strongly even the idea of going out of it. But we all have to do it, sooner or later. As the Eagles song goes, that's a stone cold fact.

It's not as if anyone can punish someone for performing suicide. Whether it's moral or not is practically a moot point.

Have I ever seriously contemplated suicide? Sure, at a time in my life when everything looked very bleak. I have had many wonderful years of life since then, which I would have missed had I taken the plunge. My children wouldn't exist. I would have caused a lot of sorrow and misery to some other people who cared about me.

So, to anyone staring into the abyss I would say: take your eyes off of yourself for a bit. Give some real serious thought about what you can do (besides kill yourself...come on, that's a pity party) to help someone else's life be a little bit better. If ending your existence is so important, try to accomplish something worthwhile in the process (go hunting for Osama, destroy a nest of druglords, run into burning buildings to rescue people).

 

[Bleach]

This thread looks very familiar. And Bleach and Anti-Basic seem to be doing the same thing I did.

Very funny.

There's a few differences.
1) We both have +1000 posts.
2) We both have +100 Rep Power
3) People acctually like us.

GTFO Starbucks kthxbai.

 

[shrundowr]

This thread looks very familiar. And Bleach and Anti-Basic seem to be doing the same thing I did.

Very funny.

No, not at all. Stop trying to find people to compare yourself to.

 

[TMSTKSBK]

I contemplated suicide my sophmore year of college. It was a really, really bad semester. It didn't help that I was on the sixth floor of a twelve-floor building.

 

[AodhanW]

No, not at all. Stop trying to find people to compare yourself to.

I see *WHO* this is in response to, is this in fact in response to his post of "This thread looks very familiar" or was there a previous post that got deleted.

Basically.. He did what now? Just curious.

And yeah, I realize I made the cardinal mistake of not paying attention to post counts and realizing they flip this shit and are still here because they've earned the right.

 

[Radwen]

Actually, a general rule with very very few exceptions is:
If you ever thought of suicide, you probably should.

 

[HellRazor]

Actually, a general rule with very very few exceptions is:
If you ever thought of suicide, you probably should.

Now you've done it.

Twice is going to compare himself to you.