As someone who has suffered from depression and will probably carry it with me my whole life, I can tell you definitively that all of your misconceptions about depression and suicide arent just annoyingly wrong, but can be very harmful to anyone struggling with those illnesses. Given that this is now a hot topic with Robin Williams passing, I need to clear up something now: Committing suicide is NOT selfish. 1. Depression is an illness, and should be treated like any other illness. If someone has cancer and fights it but still succumbs, you wouldnt call it anything less than a good fight in a losing battle. Depression is the same. 2. While we are interconnected and our actions affect others and it is good to remember that, we do not live for the sake of other people. We live for ourselves. Im not saying suicide is the right answer, but I am saying people who commit suicide are doing what they think is best to end their pain and suffering. That is their decision to make. 3. People who are depressed already feel terrible about themselves. They already feel guilty for having a disease that they cannot control or fully understand. You saying that suicide is selfish only compounds on their guilt and negativity. Dont kick someone while they are down. So please, if you are not a mental health professional or someone who has battled depression and suicide, do not judge those who do. Do not have an opinion without first educating yourself. And before you speak, think about how what you say can affect someone struggling with depression, because it is very likely that you are talking to that person or that they can hear you.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 19:06:41 +0000
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