by Clare Callow

Created on: April 16, 2009

The cultural idea that suicide is wrong is rarely very deeply examined. The concept that life is precious and should in no circumstance be wasted takes the forefront in every discussion of this issue, even when the 'suicides' are those suffering from a terminal illness.

It doesn't take much to realise why this is so. The death of anyone you know is hurtful, whether they are a mere acquaintance, thoroughly hated, or a dearly loved one. It causes you to grieve, which is sometimes even a physical experience, and it, quite frankly, sucks. When you have to undergo this experience because the person who died seems to have done this to you voluntarily, the experience is ten times worse as you search for answers and wander down the paths of 'what-ifs'.

However, the idea that suicide is a completely voluntary act is a deceptive one. To begin to understand why someone would hurt the ones they love so deeply, you need to look at the nature of depression. (Please note that the below description is not an attempt to excuse suicide. It is merely an explanation of the symptoms of depression, which is an illness linked with suicidal tendencies: the decision to commit suicide is an individual one which has many factors and which professionals throughout the world are still trying to explain.)

Depression is a tricky illness because of the casual way we use the word these days. The term can refer to a tiny change in mood ('Oh, man, I just saw the English Patient and I'm so depressed') as well as the deeply life-changing chronic illness that thousands of people suffer world wide. Just to give you an idea, there are many different mental illnesses that come under the general umbrella of depression: dysthymia, seasonal affective disorder, post-partum
depression, major depressive disorder, and many others. Bipolar disorder is related to depression but is a different illness, and requires different treatment.

One thing that all forms of depression have is an abnormal, usually sad, mood that simply doesn't go away. With major depression, this often feels (strangely enough) like someone has died. Sufferers wake up with this feeling every single day, feeling a pain as intense and as real as that felt by any bereaved person, with the added confusion for the sufferer that there is no logical source for this feeling. This is accompanied by an incredible tiredness, an increased need for sleep, lack of energy and lack of motivation. Sufferers may tell themselves that they are worthless (a feeling

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