by JustJanice

Created on: June 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 06, 2009

Most people are faced at some time or another with great sadness which, not always, but may, lead to severe depression. Believers of 'choice' will agree that suicide is the persons own choice, however, there is a lot to be considered regarding the choice or right of suicide.

With thousands, even millions of depressed people on our planet and most of them able to function normally and control this illness, either by themselves or with medication, they don't reach the limit of ending their lives. They are still able to maintain a level of normal rational thought but is the victim of potential suicide rational enough to make such a decision? Is suicide carefully thought out or a rash decision? I suppose only those who have succeeded in ending their lives will know the answer to that!

In recent years and not too long ago, suicide was considered a crime with the victim of a failed suicide charged with a criminal offence, sometimes even put into jail. Fortunately, depression is now recognised for what it is, a mental illness with sufferers not having to feel guilty about it.

A potential suicide victim normally gives off very subtle tell tale signs of their intention, even perhaps before they fully realize their own intention. These signs are often only realized when it is too late, leaving family and friends of the victim with an enormous amount of guilt.

If someone close to the depressed person realises how ill their family member or friend is, help can be sought, if the person allows or wants help. But what happens when all help is refused? Do we secretly dissolve antidepressants in his morning coffee? It's been done before in a quest to keep the person alive. No one wants their loved ones to die and will often do anything to help the person get better. Depressive patients have been admitted into places of safety against their will, often admitted in a restraint of some kind. It's not what they want but rather something they are forced into. And there goes the freedom of choice! How do we as concerned bystanders decide to throw in the towel and say let him get on with it, it's his own choice?

Fortunately, very few of us are faced with the decision of allowing freedom of choice to the potential victim as more often than not the person who really wants to end his life does it in private where no-one will find him.

That said, suicide is a choice however irrational we may believe it to be, but does the suicide victim realize at the time death is forever and forever is a very long time.

Learn more about this author, JustJanice.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.