pooh@unirot.UUCP (Pooh) (12/12/85)
I don't know that it's desirable to rate living or committing
suicide as "courageous." It all depends on which you PERSONALLY
find more frightening.
The people I have known who have tried to commit suicide wanted
to because they felt they had no control over their lives.
Ending it was their way of reasserting control. When they talked
to me about it, I tried to get them to see that yes, they had a
choice in killing themselves, but they also had a choice in living.
You can consciously decide to keep living when you're at a crossroad
like that.
I also don't think that you can divide people cleanly into two
groups: those who "want" to kill themselves and those who "don't."
Anyone who is considering it "wants" to a little bit--the more
you want to, though, the less likely you are to tell anyone about
it, or do anything that will interfere with accomplishing that
goal.
The idea in dealing with potential suicides is to figure
out exactly how serious they are about it: do they have a
specific plan? Do they have the means at hand, or do they
have to go out and get it? How familiar are they with it?
Have they made provisions for their possessions, etc.? When
do they plan to do it? The general feeling can be there without
anything being done about it; it's every bit as scary and
debilitating as when you have thought it all out.
Cheers,
Pooh topaz!unirot!pooh
topaz!unipress!pooh
When you've seen one indoor shopping facility,
you've seen the mall.