Mark Jacobson
Peer Support Specialist
Winona
Suicide is not a “a selfish choice,” as we too often hear. People who contemplate suicide are in such a state of emotional distress they don’t feel they have any choices to end their suffering.
Many who contemplate suicide consider deeply how their death could affect others. Many attempt suicide because they are a burden to their loved ones. This means they truly are not acting selfishly, but genuinely think the world is better off without them.
Suicide is hardly a choice. It’s easy for someone on the outside looking in to consider how many different options another person has. Unfortunately, someone in a mental-health crisis can’t see their available options clearly. Intense hopelessness and emotional pain can hinder a person’s ability to think rationally. If someone attempts suicide, it is likely because that person saw that as either their best or only choice to deal with their pain
The way we talk about suicide as a society is important in breaking the stigma around it. We can change the way we talk and think about mental health by viewing emotional pain the same way we think of people with physical impairments. Someone with a heart condition may need a doctor to remain healthy. So, too, does someone suffering severe depression.
Those with severe mental illness, like major depression, are fighting inner demons, who make them feel isolated and a burden to others. That person is facing a distorted perception of reality. They cannot see options before them and just want to unburden themselves and others.
If you or someone you know struggles with thoughts of suicide, now is the time to seek help. It you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911. If you are in a state of crisis, call the suicide-prevention hotline at 988. That hotline has a network of more than 200 crisis centers with trained mental-health experts who provide help 24/7.
If you are not in crisis but seeking support, I may be reached at gottahavehope38@gnail.com or by letter to 559 W. Broadway Street, Winona, MN. 55987.
