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Surely the mental anguish that drives someone to take their own life qualifies as a mental illness. We are not talking about someone who chose to die rather tha
by stult 8y ago
Surely the mental anguish that drives someone to take their own life qualifies as a mental illness. We are not talking about someone who chose to die rather than continuing a painful fight against a terminal illness. Maybe it's rational to take your own life if you are suffering so deeply from depression. Maybe that's a choice we should respect. But that respect doesn't mean that the underlying suffering isn't an illness we should recognize as such and try to treat.
- wavefunction 8y ago>We are not talking about someone who chose to die rather than continuing a painful fight against a terminal illness I am afraid you don't understand chronic depression. At all.
- atmanthedog 8y agoActually, I thought the post you were responding to was quite insightful. Depression can be chronic, debilitating and painful, but it definitely is not terminal. Terminal implies that there is a highly predictable progression of the disease that inevitably results in death. I think the parent was trying to say we can easily see why terminal patients consider suicide, as they have a fairly determined remaining life, but we should also extend that same sympathy and understanding to those who have conditions which are chronic and painful, but not necessarily determinative of remaining lifespan.