Too often I hear of families and friends losing loved ones to suicide. Those left behind are wracked with guilt, wondering what could have been done differently. There is much conflict and controversy as to how those no longer with us should be viewed. Suicide has been labelled as the ultimate act of cowardice, as a sign of weakness, and even as an act of cruelty to family members and friends.
Is it possible that this is an outdated way of rationalizing the situation? Is there a potential that this mentality is an assumption based on anger, stigma, and a lack of understanding? It can be argued that one doesn’t commit suicide, but rather dies by suicide. An individual can commit arson, they can commit murder, but vilifying the act of taking one’s own life only perpetuates the stigma that surrounds the tragedy.
Suicide is a complicated and triggering thing and is all too often attributed to mental illness, which is frequently a substantial factor, but suicide is far more complicated than a diagnosis. Many factors can lead to this outcome: poverty, isolation, inadequate support, and discrimination. The causes are as individual as the people who end their lives.
The medicalization of suicide can be argued as incredibly counterproductive, for as we do so, we separate ourselves from the root causes, from the injustices in our society, and from the lack of understanding we have for our fellow human beings. By placing blame on another, we destroy our capacity to feel empathy, and hinder the possibility of suicide prevention.