Why are people so ignorant about suicide and depression?

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.Ali.

LOL, you're calling me ignorant?! Haha!!

May I ask you a question? (answer truthfully) Have you ever seen anyone jump in front of a train?

Yes I am, as that post was very ignorant. You clearly do not understand what it feels like.

No, I haven't. Have I ever felt seriously suicidal? Yes. Have I suffered from clinical depression? Yes. So trust me, a lot of suicides do not do it 'willy-nilly'. A lot of thought goes into it.

Reply 281

.Ali.

Original post by Tashalls

I think it's pretty ignorant to blame a few people for someone commiting suicide. Would he have killed himself if he had a caring emotionally responsive family? Or if he wasn't depressed? Bullys are bad obviously but they don't alone kill someone.

Yes, actually. I was bullied for several years. I becamse very suicidal. Also, depression can (not always) develop as a result of bullying.

I have the most loving, caring, supportive family anyone can ask for, who did all they could to try and help me. The fact was that I'd developed clinical depression wasn't their fault and there was nothing they could do about it. Luckily, they helped me recover from being depressed.

Reply 282

TheLloyd

Depression is nothing to **** with. A depressed person is no different to any other person. I have experienced a range of depression in my life, it varies from person to person. In no way is it being weak, they are stronger than most for knowing their true feelings. A weak person is an ignorant person, who can't face reality and cannot see things from another persons frame of mind.

Reply 283

username549578

Original post by .Ali.

I live in London. We have the best train system in the UK, 'the tube' ever hear of it? Anyway so one day im waiting for my train (i was somewhere on a central line) It was quite busy around this time. So there i am waiting, when this guy walks in to the platform (a train was less than a minute away). The guy walks right up to the edge of the platform, by this time everyone is looking at him, but nobody says anything cos we are londoners and we dont talk to each other. Finally people realise what the guy is about to do. Just as he leaps off the platform, some other passangers knock him to the ground. Everyone on the platform was in shock obviously. They knocked him to the ground just as a train pulls in. Now if that crazy guy had got hit by that train, every single person on the platform (children included) would have seen this guys brains splattered all over the platform. Not a nice image is it?
Ok, different situation now. Some crazy woman jumps onto the track this time (she was with friends, they obviously didnt know what she was going to do). This time the train hits her. I got to the station about 5minutes after that happened so i never saw it, but im pretty glad i didnt see it. Trust me, it wasnt a pretty sight. Obviously a lot of people at the station were pretty ****ed up when i saw them. A lot of people were crying and in shock.

Now tell me how the people in these scenarios are not selfish/weak. Any person willing to put other people through that is weak in my book. A strong person wouldnt do that. That was the cowards way out. So no, i may not have been depressed or suicidal before, but I know the difference between a weak and a strong person. Why dont you see someone try to kill themself and then see if you change your opinion?

Reply 284

Katt-x

Original post by Tashalls

They may not physically kill someone but they are definately a huge factor. I was pretty badly bullied. It led to me feeling completely and utterly worthless, I lost all confidence in myself and I became desperate to make it stop. It got to the point that when they told me I should go kill myself, I actually tried by sltting my wrists. It was a pretty pathetic attempt, but I was only 11 at the time. They then continued to make my life utter hell, and after seeing the wrists it got so so much worse. I moved schools to get them all out of my life, but it didn't end there. I still had no confidence, and thought that I had no place in the world. Every time there was a little jokey comment made, every time I did something wrong, I thought about what the bullies had said, that I was a peice of sh*t, that I would do everyone a favour if i died. This led me to feel more and more sh*t, and eventually have a serious suicide attempt that put me in hopsital. I truly believe that if I had never been bullied like I was then I wouldn't have spent years of my life depressed, and that I wouldn't have tried to kill myself.

Reply 285

Yawn11

Original post by .Ali.

You are one of the most ignorant people I've ever met. I personally think you may be trolling, but even so, that's really distasteful.

Your OP is ignorant. Which someone else has already pointed out I think.

Reply 286

Steevee

Original post by Katt-x

Are you actually being serious? You WAN'T to be depressed? You wan't to spend each day wishing that something might happen to you which means you were killed, or constantly thinking about how to die? Or possibly you wan't to push the people that mean most to you away from them, leaving you completely and utterly alone? You wan't to lie awake at night because you can't sleep, and spend the whole time thinking how much you hate yourself for being who you are? Or maybe it's the constand paranoia, guilt, and general feelings of being worthless that you're after?

Sure, why not? I wouldn't mind experiencing it a little bit, so I can form an opinion on the matter without having people shouting me down because I haven't experienced it.

Reply 287

mummyperson

Original post by Steevee

Sure, why not? I wouldn't mind experiencing it a little bit, so I can form an opinion on the matter without having people shouting me down because I haven't experienced it.

At some point in you life you will probably feel depressed. But don't hurry up the experience. Just enjoy your peace of mind at present and indeed hopefully for many years to come; but be compassionate for those less fortunate.

:auto:

Reply 288

Lamptastic

I don't think its ignorance.

It is denial.

Reply 289

Steevee

Original post by mummyperson

Compassion where it is needed, but people shouldn't require encouragement to get on with daily life.

Honestly, I find some of the mental disorders we're supposed to believe in somewhat incredulous. But, I hold my tounge in public, because I know I will be berated with the common response 'you don't know what it's like'.

So, I should like to 'know what it's like' so I can have my opinion without being judged.

Reply 290

mummyperson

One of the problems with mental illness is it alters the capacity to get on with daily life - perhaps a way of thinking about it is as if it is a physical illness but one which affects the mind. So if a person has , say, pain and swelling in the joints, it becomes less easy to walk. They may be able to walk, but with pain, or they may be able to be treated with physiotherapy and medicine but only if they seek treatment. Its the same with mental illness. The milder sorts mean a person can carry on living but with impaired function of the mind in terms of emotions and thinking and social relations, but it is harder to function normally, and very often people don't seek treatment or help because it isn't as obvious as a physical illness.
Does that help?

Reply 291

Katt-x

Original post by Steevee

Sure, why not? I wouldn't mind experiencing it a little bit, so I can form an opinion on the matter without having people shouting me down because I haven't experienced it.

So would you like to experience every illness out there, so you know what it's like?

Reply 292

xXMessedUpXx

Sadly there will always be imbilcies who couldn't care less about other people, let alone those who are suffering. Depression is a very real illness and it can destroy lives if left untreated. Attitudes like that shown on these forums make people less likely to seek help as they fear that what a minority think is what everyone, including doctors will think. As someone who has suffered from depression for the past 13 years i know what it's like to face stigma on a daily basis.

I think depression should be talked about and not swept under the carpet. you wouldn't tell someone with cancer to "pull youself together" or stop posting, why should the mentally ill be treated and differently?

Reply 293

Magnanimity

Original post by xXMessedUpXx

Because cancer is inherently about a million times more serious and debilitating than depression. Believe anything else and you're deluding yourself.

Reply 294

Hooj

The thing is suicide is for the weakminded. Someone with a strong will wouldn't kill themselves when the going gets rough.

Reply 295

.Ali.

Original post by Magnanimity

Because cancer is inherently about a million times more serious and debilitating than depression. Believe anything else and you're deluding yourself.

How very ignorant. Cancer is not more serious nor more debilitating. Depression can be extremely debilitating, unless you've had it, you won't know. Cancer is awful, I agree. But it is physical. You can cut it out (in a lot of cases), and treat the person, and they will be in remission. It is so much more difficult to treat depression.

Also, depression is an illness, just like cancer. It shouldn't be seen as different just because it's not on view.

Reply 296

Steevee

Original post by Katt-x

So would you like to experience every illness out there, so you know what it's like?

Nope

Only the somewhat.......dubious ones. Mental illnesses mainly, where symptoms change from person to person, and how people deal with it varies so widely.
I mean with cancer, the effects are pretty much set in stone, but with depression, not so much.
I have strong opinions on things, 'tis my nature, and I have an opinion on this matter. But one which is not PC and which would cover me in a cloud of small red blobs on this site. As such, I would like to be depressed, for the sake of my own argument :smile:

Reply 297

Magnanimity

Original post by .Ali.

Do you know my medical history? No. Because you're looking very silly by calling me ignorant about depression and physical illness.

Never heard such idiotic comments about cancer in my life. It's exactly your sort of attitude that leads people to think depressives are whiny and attention seeking. Those who shout the loudest...

Reply 298

IGX_RSV2

I love how everyone says things like "cancer is worse than depression" or vice versa.

I guess it depends on the person to be honest. Unless you know someone who has had both cancer + depression, you wouldn't know. But then it would still depend on the person. One person might say cancer was the worst illness they had, or the other might say their depression was the worst illness.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 299

.Ali.

Original post by Magnanimity

It's not silly to call someone who claims depression 'isn't that bad' ignorant.

Do you know mine? You don't know any of the illnesses I've suffered from, quite a lot of physical illnesses actually.

Why are they idiotic? I'm not downplaying cancer at all. I'm just saying that depression can be just as bad, and often is. That's not whiny or anntention-seeking. I don't think it's too much to ask that people stop judging those who have suffered from depressive illnesses, personally.