Why don't people talk about suicide? How many of you know someone who has attempted or committed suicide? Does not talking about it do anyone any good? I know it's hard and uncomfortable, but I wonder why so many of us shy away from it. I couldn't say my brother killed himself for almost two years. Instead I would just say he died or say "after what he did", but I would never actually say the word. For those of you who have been suicidal how does it make you feel when others react this way? Does it make you feel like you can approach them to talk about it? Or rather do you feel stigmatized, isolated, alone; as though you must face this demon by yourself, unarmored and unarmed? I have been there years ago and I was lucky to walk away from that fight with very little outside help. Even after I made the decision internally I lived my life in a manner that sought death; taking chances on a regular basis, doing things without any thought for safety. It was a long road of darkness, emptiness, and confusion.
I didn't want to talk about it myself for fear that people would change how they saw me. Instantly you become that person that everyone looks at crossways- a caged and wild animal that they aren't sure of how you will react. We talk to people about their cancer don't we?
I am of the mind that this is not helpful to anyone. How can we expect to help anyone and combat this problem of suicide without talking about it?
