Writers and Suicide

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by KhalieLa, Mar 17, 2016.

  1. BruceA

    BruceA Active Member

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    Suicide is very high in farmers. In France, a farmer kills him/herself almost every day. An interview with a farmer who had attempted suicide spoke about the loneliness (as well as financial pressure). Most of the day he was alone in his tractor with just his thoughts for company. Tractor or typewriter it is feeling alone (even when you are surrounded by people) that can lead to desperate actions.
     
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  2. Hubardo

    Hubardo Contributor Contributor

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    People definitely kill themselves.

    I've called the national suicide hotline numerous times. It can help to get you from a 10/10 on emotional distress to like a 7 or 8 in a few minutes.

    http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
     
  3. KokoN

    KokoN Active Member

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    Obviously you have every right to disagree with my opinion, but this is not helpful criticism because you are not explaining what you mean so it serves no purpose except to make me feel bad. I understand mental illness is a difficult topic, so I assume that I offended you in some way, which I sincerely apologize for. If you want to explain your position feel free, if not, that is okay too.
     
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  4. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    This is what you said: "After all, what we consider mental illness is 100% socially constructed. We decide what mental illness is based on our cultural norms and what we consider socially appropriate. Creative people, by definition, think and behave differently, uniquely from other people. People deemed mentally ill are also different from other people in society. In a way, creativity is our label for positive differences, and mental illness is our label for negative differences. But who draws the lines?"

    Mental illnesses are real, buddy. They're not 100% social structures used to define what we like or don't like. Thanks for once again strengthening that misconception.
     
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  5. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I agree that mental illnesses are real, but I also agree that there's social construction going on in how we classify, define and certainly treat those illnesses. (I'm not saying you don't agree with this - possibly you're objecting to the 100% aspect, rather than the idea in general).

    Homosexuality used to be considered a mental illness. Women who were too independent were considered mentally ill. Active, restless children are often medicated for ADHD because they don't fit into sit-in-your-seat-and-do-your-paperwork classrooms. etc.

    So, yes, there are real illnesses that cause their sufferers a lot of grief. But there are also ways these illnesses are manipulated, misunderstood, and misdefined that cause grief to people who would not be suffering if they were living in a different culture.
     
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  6. KokoN

    KokoN Active Member

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    Just because something is socially constructed doesn't mean it's not real. What I mean is that we define what metal illness is. There is no manual for how to define mental illness except for what we, humans, wrote. Mental illness is something that is either detrimental to the person who with the illness or detrimental to others. So of course it's real. Its like, I am upset and sad all the time. Something is making me unhappy and it's real. Our society labels that "depression" (kind of, this is a very simplified example). The concept of depression is us as humans making sense of something that we observe. Sometimes this gets out of hand, as in the example BayView gave where homosexuality used to be considered a mental illness.

    I expect that most people will disagree with my statement that mental illness is 100% socially constructed (not all cultures have the same mental illnesses, btw) but hopefully that at least explains why I believe it is at least partially socially constructed, but also 100% real. Which to add, mental illnesses are due to chemical imbalances in the brain usually. This I would not say is socially constructed, but how we view and define the behaviors that is the society part.

    I hope that made sense, I'm having a difficult time organizing my thoughts so I blame school for that. :p
     
  7. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Seems to me saying it is all one way or the other is reductive. Depending on the individual, what an what mental illness they are dealing with, I suspect you'll find varying levels of biological and societal factors (and in some individuals it may be all one way or all the other) and varying degrees of societal response to what they're dealing with in terms of calling it a mental illness or not. That makes it difficult to start any sentence with "All mental illnesses are..." and have that sentence be accurate.
     
  8. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Can we not please get back to suicide? Mental health already has plenty of threads on the site.

    - is one allowed to contemplate suicide without having a mental health condition? Is this an indulgence? Is it narcissism, selfish or 'normal?'

    I get much pleasure from the subject, writing about it, thinking it is really a shared condition, and human. Though sometimes think it is a cruel, and once again, an indulgent thing to do, writing about suicide, have not done it for a while, not since the new job, mmm.

    Indulgence seems to be my thing, eh, like Graham Green with his Catholicism theme, or our new young fella with all his wanking.

    Haven't done that for months, or days.
     
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  9. KhalieLa

    KhalieLa It's not a lie, it's fiction. Contributor

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    I don't think suicide is narcissistic or selfish, but the opposite. What if the suicide lives in a community were everyone tells them, "You suck, I wish you'd just kill yourself." When that person finally gives up and gives in, agreeing, "You're right the world would be better off without me," that is not a selfish act, but a selfless one. The suicide gave their life to please the cruel whims of others. In this instance living is the defiant, selfish thing to do.
     
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  10. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Yeah, that's interesting, but sounds like a state of mind - on first reading - 'Go, kill yourself.' Though for 'writing' this avenue should be explored...there'd be a very strong pull from the reader if you made a pretty character in despair, they would be so relieved if you save her...all best:).
     

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