Re: OT: Why Suicide?

SNIGDIBBLY wrote:
I don't have an answer for that. I have known some people who said their lives were just too painful to endure. I strongly believe in self-determination but suicide can be a selfish act that leaves those who loved that person with such raw, agonizing pain and so many unanswered questions. ......

This is sort of long -- sorry. I haven't followed this thread but I wanted to say that there are people like my older DSis who committed suicide. She was in her mid-50's at the time (1994) when she finally made the decision to leave us. When conceived, she was *supposed* to be a conjoined twin connected at the base of the spine. The other fetus spontaneously aborted at about 6 months gestation and as a result my DS was born with Spinabifida, clubbed feet, Scoliosis, severe nerve damage to her bladder and other problems too numerous to mention. He spine was so deformed that one hip was a full inch higher than the other. She was *always* in pain as an adult. When her Dr. told her that she would soon be on morphine to handle the pain, she knew she would very soon end up in a nursing home and be bed-ridden.
She knew that once on morphine she would have less than a year to live so she decided it was time to take her leave. After Christmas, she started to tell everyone that she was just too tired and in too much pain to deal with another hot Phoenix summer and would probably "do what needs to be done". She left us on 04 June 1994 and the only one who was really surprised was my Dad, probably because he never did acknowledge the fact that she had such severe handicaps. Her suicide *was* a selfish act but one that was understandable and didn't really cause severe trauma for those of us left behind.
Anyway, I personally feel that people who are in chronic terrible pain that cannot be alleviated or have a terminal illness -- things that we know will not ever get better -- have the right to choose when they will die. I am still upset about the fact that my poor sister had to take this last step all alone because anyone who had been with her could have been prosecuted and put in jail. DSis was SO severely handicapped that an autopsy wasn't done, even tho' she had died "under unknown circumstances". Once the medical authorities got one look at her body, they understood and KNEW she had been a suicide.
Obviously, the whole family was upset about loosing her but we knew why it happened. Her true friends understood and there wasn't really anything unusually traumatic for us in dealing with the loss. We were lucky in that we all (except for Papa) accepted her decision and knew that she WAS in a better place. Unfortunately, this isn't true for many families of suicides. I like to think that she chose self euthanasia as opposed to suicide. Her death was a well though out occurrence, there was no severe emotional problem, and she really didn't have many other options. VBS -- I still miss her even tho' we weren't close. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

--
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties)
Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers!
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT: Why Suicide?
    ... The other fetus spontaneously aborted at about 6 months gestation and as a result my DS was born with Spinabifida, clubbed feet, Scoliosis, severe nerve damage to her bladder and other problems too numerous to mention. ... When her Dr. told her that she would soon be on morphine to handle the pain, she knew she would very soon end up in a nursing home and be bed-ridden. ... Her suicide *was* a selfish act but one that was understandable and didn't really cause severe trauma for those of us left behind. ... Her true friends understood and there wasn't really anything unusually traumatic for us in dealing with the loss. ...
    (rec.crafts.textiles.quilting)
  • Re: OT: Why Suicide?
    ... I've enjoyed all of this life I can stand that I will control how and when I ... >> self-determination but suicide can be a selfish act that leaves those who ... > *always* in pain as an adult. ... > that she had such severe handicaps. ...
    (rec.crafts.textiles.quilting)
  • Re: OT: Why Suicide?
    ... >> lives were just too painful to endure. ... >> self-determination but suicide can be a selfish act that leaves those who ... > *always* in pain as an adult. ... > that she had such severe handicaps. ...
    (rec.crafts.textiles.quilting)
  • Re: best "bad" guitar solo?
    ... Your Mind was released in 1969. ... suicide, "Maybe he DID know how bad he sucked after all, and did ... no I just offered up that he may have been in a lot of physical pain ... groups trying to drum up a good pity party for themselves. ...
    (alt.guitar)
  • Re: best "bad" guitar solo?
    ... suicide, "Maybe he DID know how bad he sucked after all, and did ... I suggest that I don't miss him awful, ... no I just offered up that he may have been in a lot of physical pain ... play for pity. ...
    (alt.guitar)