Posted by Racer on October 7, 2006, at 1:49:19
In reply to Re: Oprah show on Suicide *trigger*, posted by alexandra_k on October 7, 2006, at 1:08:27
> > Scare tactics...that's one way to stop people from self murder.
>
> I'm not sure that it is. I think that sometimes what people forget is that people usually attempt because they are feeling very desperate indeed. Trying to frighten someone who is feeling that way... Like trying to induce guilt by calling it 'selfish' or 'cowardly' etc is only likely to have people feel worse...
>
>I agree.
There was a case here in the States a couple of years ago, in which a man was charged with some sort of manslaughter because he "facilitated" his wife/girlfriend's suicide. Seems he got sick of her threatening suicide, so when she said she wanted to die -- he handed her a gun. He was apparently sure she didn't mean it...
Maybe she didn't mean it, but couldn't figure out how to de-escalate? We'll never know, and she'll never have a chance to find out, either.
I'm not sure what the best solution is, when someone is suicidal. I know only my own experience, and don't even know what would have helped me. (Besides massive doses of tranquilizers...)
But scare tactics won't work for someone who is genuinely suicidal, as opposed to someone who's looking for attention.
poster:Racer
thread:692317
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20061005/msgs/692623.html