Sta.sh
There is a time of the year to reflect on the people who have taken their own lives, are thinking about taking their own lives, or have attempted to take their own lives. That's all well and good.
However, there are a few things about this time of year I don't approve of. For one thing, why can't we try to prevent suicide all year round? In case no one knew, suicide happens all the time. Why do only people in September get "saved" from suicide?
The second thing is the pretentiousness and the hypocrisy of it. I see people that make jokes about suicide all the time, but when September rolls around they turn all lovey dovey and wear their slogans, write "love" all over their arms and preach anti-bullying lessons to everyone. Then when the month ends they all go back to being the same way. Hell, some of them even bully people, which is a major cause of suicide I might add.
Also, do you really think that writing "love" on your arm is going to help? Or wearing your dumb bracelets and Tweeting all about the suicide prevention shit you're doing? The only person you're helping is yourself. You're just helping yourself feel good, and tricking yourself into thinking that you are actually helping people with suicidal tendencies. You also aren't helping by saying "don't kill yourself! you have your whole life ahead of you".
Finally, why do people tend to want to prevent suicide after a major, tragic suicide occurs? It makes no fucking sense. After a suicide occurs, we all mourn and tell people not to commit suicide then all the hype of the suicide dies down and everyone returns to normal. Then another suicide occurs, and the same thing happens again. It's a cycle.
I guess what I'm saying is that preventing suicide is important. Most of the time, the problem causing the suicidal tendencies can be fixed. But doing the things I mentioned isn't going to fix them. Also, I happen to be related to/close to someone who attempted suicide a long time ago. She's stable now, but it was a close call. I myself have considered suicide, but never actually attempted it. The closest I've ever gotten to it is plotting it out in my head.
I know I'm going to get a lot of hate for this. I know I'm going to be called an asshole. But it is my opinion, and a damn valid one.
People are lazy and selfish, and writing 'love' on their arm, tweeting, and posting sad pics on facebook gives a false sense of security and accomplishment.
"oh, I don't feel like getting off of facebook or reddit so I'll just scribble on myself and express emotions I barely even have by reposting OTHER PEOPLE'S sad photos and artwork."
I've attempted suicide . . . more than once and have met other people back in school that also had. The last thing I and many others wanna hear is "don't" and/or "you've got your whole life ahead of you" In my broken mind, that translates out to:
"I'm a stranger that's ordering you to do something because I don't wanna deal with your misery"
and "Stay alive so that you can feel more pain because I don't know what's wrong with you, but I don't care."
And since a friend of my dad I knew pretty well committed suicide, I also know how it is like with suicidal people. Not to mention, been having those thoughts too myself.