This article was actually put on news.com.au yesterday (10th August 2009) but it's taken me about 24 hours to decide if I would write something about it.
Indeed I wrote a comment on the site, but it wasn't published. *Cries* Although I assume it wasn't published because I have attempted suicide and therefore I am not one to be able to comment on this particular story?
Anyway the article is about 60 Minutes (TV program here in Australia) fighting for the right to air a segment dealing with 4 teen suicides in Geelong, Victoria. Click here to read the article (it's not long so don't worry!)
I won't go into more detail about the article, hopefully you'll read it which makes my response here a little more understandable.
Please also take note of the comments, or some of them anyway. I found that a lot of the comments made me rather angry and even more determined to write this little article here.
First of all let me state clearly that I don't think suicide should be "swept under the carpet". I think there should be discussion and awareness about suicide baring in mind that suicide on its own is usually the last resort of someone who feels that there's nothing left.
So yes, by all means raise awareness of suicide, but keep in mind there are many other factors that lead up to suicide. Wouldn't PREVENTION therefore be better than airing a segment on 60 Minutes to glorify suicide?
I completely understand that parents, family and friends want to know WHY. I would want to know why if someone in my family took their own life. The problem I have is that there are many (and I seriously mean many) organisations that help the FAMILIES of people who have commited suicide. These organisations do not glorify suicide nor do they give the parents false understanding and hope. They are there to support and explain the circumstances, thought processes and even behaviours leading up to suicide.
BeyondBlue, Headspace and Sane.org are just three such organisations I can think of off the top of my head that also help families and friends of people with mental illness and those who take their own lives.
The crux of the matter, for me, is that people (like myself) who are prone to suicidal thoughts and even actions are actually encouraged by actually seeing others take their own lives. For myself, I don't even have to know the person to feel some kind of deep connection to them and their pain, and their actions allow me to think that it would be okay for me to take my own life. It comes down to: If they can do it, then so can I.
This little gem of information is a proven fact among medical professionals.
I expressed an intense desire to attempt suicide while I was in a psychiatric ward during a "high risk" time. The nurse I spoke to assured me that they wouldn't allow me to do it because "you could start a chain reaction of other patients following your footsteps." At the time I was hurt that she wasn't actually concerned with my safety, but now I understand that my safety also ensures the safety of those around me. Complicated isn't it?
Anyway, the point is, if suicide is shown on national TV it will increase the cases and risk of suicide among those who are already feeling the pull towards it. I'm sorry to be blunt, but it's a fact.
If the story was published as an article, or was even aired on something much more substantial than 60 Minutes, the impact might be considerably less.
It's a very fine line between being right and being wrong. I don't think suicide should be just forgotten and never talked about, but at the same time it's not something that should be glorified, condensed or moulded to fit into a 20 minute segment. Let's be honest here, it's a topic that is far more involved than 60 Minutes can cope with these days.
Please take into consideration the risk involved with overly publicising suicide. It is there, it does happen, but it's usually the result of a long road of suffering and heartache. It's the end of the line for those who feel they can no longer continue.
I urge ANY reader who thinks of suicide as a way out to please talk to someone before you make that final decision. In reality they can not stop you from doing it, so it doesn't matter if you talk to someone about it.
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