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> making it taboo instead is the best prevention I can see that you have never worked in suicide prevention.

by hilux 2y ago

svieira 2y ago
Some act that is recognized as bad by society does not stop happening - it simply ensures that members of that society are aware of the badness of the act. This has a deterrent effect because people do not choose a bad act for its own sake while people will choose neutral or good acts for the sake of the act. Recognizing something as so bad as to be "out of the pale" does not mean that people will not talk about their desire to do it. That depends on a different societal measure - how willing are people to be open about who they really are and what they are experiencing in the moment.
eth0up 2y ago
It's probably already extent, but this gives me the idea of an open source suicide prevention platform, where struggling people can reach out to a network of non governmental real humans that, differing from ther perceived rest of the world, have the time, genuine concern and willingness to try to help. There's an enormous deficit of kindness out there, else we're brilliant at making it appear so. And I think I agree with your comment. Making it taboo might among other unintended things, increase the allure through rebellion or breaking the rules of those who inspired the will to die.
- hilux 2y ago
  I used to volunteer on the suicide hotline: 988, in the US. I also previously used to live near the Caltrain station in Menlo Park - suicide central for Silicon Valley. This much is well known: making ANY topic "taboo" for discussion is bad for mental health generally, and prevents people (specifically suicidal people) from seeking the help they need. It's not a big mystery why: attaching guilt and shame (or legal penalties) to some thought or speech or act will make people much less likely to discuss it. Even when it's burning up their mind from the inside.
  - eth0up 2y ago
    >I used to volunteer... Admirable. And difficult I presume.
myrmidon 2y ago
I'm not talking about suicide prevention, I'm talking about preventing abuse of the legal framework for euthanasia for nefarious purposes (like what ended up happening in WW2-Germany).

> making it taboo instead is the best prevention I can see that you have never worked in suicide prevention.

by hilux 2y ago

> making it taboo instead is the best prevention I can see that you have never worked in suicide prevention.

Some act that is recognized as bad by society does not stop happening - it simply ensures that members of that society are aware of the badness of the act. This has a deterrent effect because people do not choose a bad act for its own sake while people will choose neutral or good acts for the sake of the act. Recognizing something as so bad as to be "out of the pale" does not mean that people will not talk about their desire to do it. That depends on a different societal measure - how willing are people to be open about who they really are and what they are experiencing in the moment.

eth0up 2y ago

It's probably already extent, but this gives me the idea of an open source suicide prevention platform, where struggling people can reach out to a network of non governmental real humans that, differing from ther perceived rest of the world, have the time, genuine concern and willingness to try to help. There's an enormous deficit of kindness out there, else we're brilliant at making it appear so. And I think I agree with your comment. Making it taboo might among other unintended things, increase the allure through rebellion or breaking the rules of those who inspired the will to die.

hilux 2y ago
I used to volunteer on the suicide hotline: 988, in the US. I also previously used to live near the Caltrain station in Menlo Park - suicide central for Silicon Valley. This much is well known: making ANY topic "taboo" for discussion is bad for mental health generally, and prevents people (specifically suicidal people) from seeking the help they need. It's not a big mystery why: attaching guilt and shame (or legal penalties) to some thought or speech or act will make people much less likely to discuss it. Even when it's burning up their mind from the inside.
- eth0up 2y ago
  >I used to volunteer... Admirable. And difficult I presume.

myrmidon 2y ago

I'm not talking about suicide prevention, I'm talking about preventing abuse of the legal framework for euthanasia for nefarious purposes (like what ended up happening in WW2-Germany).