Is suicide a human right?

To anyone who has had an issue with intermittent or chronic depression, do some research about 5-HTP. It's a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and can really help. It's available over the counter, is relatively inexpensive, and the only side effect would be a tendency for some people to get nausea from it the first few times you take it (there are serotonin receptors in the small intestine and they react to it the same way your brain signals a reaction to a toxin, it's just because of the sudden serotonin impact on that area; it's temporary and harmless although unpleasant).

I had a low level depression for my entire life after I reached puberty, I presume because of hormonal influences. I also had a lot of trouble sleeping which is indicative of low serotonin and melatonin levels. (You can't make melatonin unless your serotonin levels are high enough). The 5-HTP was like a miracle for me; I took it every day for about six months and the improvement was within days. Now I only need it once a month or so to keep the brain levels of serotonin up, and sometimes as a lift during the darker days of winter.

You can try to raise your serotonin levels with a tryptophan rich diet of lots of turkey, almonds and bananas but that wasn't enough for me. I'd have to have a diet solely on those foods... :-/

I encourage everyone to research 5-HTP and also 'smart drugs' or nootropics. There's a wealth of information out there that even your doctor doesn't know about that can be very useful. The research is several decades ahead of regular medical treatment and the US is particularly behind the times compared to Europe.

reply to post by signalfire


I like your focus on natural healing as an alternative. It helps to think of ourselves as having a pro-active self-control over our lives rather than just helplessly buffeted around by circumstances.

Originally posted by ThinkingCap

Originally posted by SubAce
Suicide is murder. No one has the right to murder. Just because it is self murder, does not justify it.

It is wrong and morally repugnant. How twisted to call it a human right.

ETA:

If you're unsure on whether suicide is not murder think of all the other "cides" out there, homocide, fratridicde, infanticide, genocide, etc. etc. etc. Which other forms of these "murders" are also just? Was this a joke? I think I'm being played. But this world is so twisted, and the people on this board so morally crass, perhaps this is real?

edit on 15-4-2012 by SubAce because: (no reason given)

Clearly you have not lived.

This world is a beautiful place, but it has much pain and suffering. Many people on this planet do not understand why they are here, subjected to constant torture. You do not know them, and you have no right to judge them if they make their final personal decision to end their life.

You base your argument off of the English language - if it ends in "cide" it is bad.
Yet you clearly have never watched someone you love die a slow and painful death.
With the law stating they cannot be put to rest, so they suffer needlessly.
Is this something you would wish on your mother?

Personal, isn't it.

That is why it is the individual's choice.

So, grow up.

You need to grow up. Murder is wrong. A chicken dressed up any other way is still a chicken. Murder is still a murder, even if it is your brother, or mother, or someone of another race. How brain-washed is this generation that they think that right is wrong and wrong is right and try to stop the voice of reason and understanding.

You are right in a lot of what you say. To say I have not lived is wrong. To say you know me is wrong. To condone murder is morally repugnant. It is not suprising though. Millions of people murder each other all over the world all the time without any moral flinching. It has happened all throughout history. It is because of this. People with no moral integrity or understanding.

If I were in Rwanda in 1995 I would be arguing with a bunch of ethnic hate mongers justifying genocide of an entire people. If I were in Germany 1938 I would be speaking to so-called Christian Arayn's justifying the mass slaughter of the Jews. If I were in Pol-Pots Cambodia I would be speaking with Communists justifying the whole-sale slaughter of their own people.

Today I'm on the internet talking with a bunch of people justifying the idea of murdering yourself is okay. And yes suicide is murder, as much as genocide is murder. Just because you commit the disgusting violent act against yourself does not justify it anymore than if you were a Hutu and had a right to murder a Tutsi, or if you were an Ayran and thought you had the right to murder a Semite.

The general attitude of yours and others like you tell me, an astute observer that another genocide, or holocaust is right around the corner. The world is ripe with morally bankrupt people, who have no understanding of right or wrong, that can be easily manipulated by TPTB to make it happen. They really have you guys brain-washed good.

Good topic OP, but I'll make answer the shortest:

Yes.

Self-termination is the only control we have over our bodies.

Human Right? I assume you are talking about the legality of suicide in which case rights are just a social-political creation of control. In all actuality we have the right to do anything within our ability. We are able to commit suicide, therefore we can if we choose to.

My answer is yes. Each person, if they truly want to leave this place, has every and any right to do so.

My question is, what do we consider suicide? Another topic I know, but if I put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, I committed suicide, its very simply suicide and people will agree or disagree with my choices.

If I smoke 80 cigarettes a day for 40 years and die of lung cancer, How can that not be considered suicide?

If I eat unhealthy, fatty foods for years, never exercise and have a heart attack that is directly linked to my eating, How is that not suicide?

So what is the question, Do I have the right to instantly end my life?
or, Do I have the right to slowly, periodically kill myself?

Maybe there are more people committing suicide right now then anyone could ever imagine, We simply dont label it as such.

reply to post by Skepticesque


what a sticky question. i personally believe one doesn't have the right, they should try to understand the implications of their actions. the pain and suffering is where people mainly say, see this is justified. and i have looked down the barrel of a 12 gauge so i feel like i can give some viewpoints. but the loved ones you leave behind, the scars they will carry around from it. i have struggled from depression but am overcoming it everyday. life is beautiful, but only you can make the choice to see it. suicide a human right? for me the answer is no, but i judge no one else who thinks different. to each their own.

I think it's plain subjective.

Is it possible? Yes. Whether you believe it's a right, a cowardly act, or a selfish act, is on you. There's no question though about what the OP said. It takes enormous strength, in my opinion, to end one's life. Not the word strength in the traditional optimistic way, but like the OP put it: We are designed to survived, and at all costs we will rise above what we think is even possible when facing such circumstances of death.

It takes one's mind to completely rewrite its programming, and to exhaust all forseeable options of sanity to make the decision whether oneself is going to take their own life.

A very delicate subject indeed.

reply to post by NoLoveInFear46and2


I think one's life, activities, associations and beliefs are her own business. And I think being a sovereign human being includes the right to end one's life if one's experience is unbearable for a sustained period of time.

I am a man entering middle age. I have cerebral palsy and other health conditions which may lead to substantially more pain than I have already experienced in my life. So I am making it clear in writing and in spoken word what my intentions and desires are if I should ever lose the ability to write/speak.

I don't want anybody messing with my right to a DNR, a my right to jump off the cliff or drink a lethal cocktail if I ever reach such desperation.

On the other hand, I know that my friends and family tend to enjoy my company and they help make my life mysterious and wonderful. So while I am alive and vital, I will live the life that I believe to be significant and worthwhile. I believe that it is chicken crap to and it just because there are certain themes in my life that seem to continue recycling. I think that I am here to learn and grow; and these processes can certainly be physically, psychically and emotionally painful.

So to borrow a metaphor from the Canadian rock group Rush, I'm trying to walk the razor's edge and live in the most powerful present moment that I can find.

Of course i believe suicide is a right. We should be able to do anything to ourselves that isn't directly hurting others. If we should be able to kill ourselves though we should also be able to injest any substance that we wish. It gets me when someone believes we should have the right to kill ourselves but not to use drugs lol.

Originally posted by signalfire
reply to post by Skepticesque

 

Yes, absolutely. I think our medical system, social support system and psychological support systems should be set up such that if someone is considering suicide, they will have a free place to go to discuss it without religious overtones (threats of hell) or anything else, no stigma to discuss it whatsoever, which there is now. Most suicidal thoughts are temporary, but the act obviously is not.

That said, yes we all have the right to leave this ummm... situation, whenever we want to. One never knows what another person is suffering through and mental agony can be every bit as bad as physical agony.

Be aware that your soul or spirit will survive the suicide and although you may be a bit confused for a while, you will get help on the other side also to deal with the transition and decide what to do from there. It's not like that Robin Williams movie where you end up in some dark awful place forever as a punishment. We all chose to be here and do an earth-life experience, and there's something to be learned from the time here. But the other places are actually a lot nicer... I'd also like to add to anyone contemplating suicide, that it's pretty amazing what a difference one day, or one hour, or one minute can make in your situation.

nicely said. so kudos, very well thought out and makes quite a bit of sense. i would like to point out, if I may, and this is simply an extra thought on your post.

One can choose to take his life, but before it becomes a real option, Try to think of the ripple effect it will have on others. your family or friends....or whoever may feel the blowback. Its a decision that is one of the hardest ones anybody can ever make and being such a high price, It could cause others to live in pain as well. Or lead to the road of depression, just pick a scenario. point is if say, a father takes his life. he will never be there for his kid. children need their male and female rolemodels in this life to show them what to value, whats important, and to successfully navigate this plain so they can live a happy life. without that,any number of things could happen.

but yes, a person should.....and does have the right to commit suicide. it is their decision. but we all have a right to choose to help this person and understand the weight of it. we are all here together and should help only when you can. final decisions should be made by that person, and that person alone.


S&F

Originally posted by Skepticesque
I know this is a topic of quite some controversy, therefore I'm interested in hearing what you all have to say. I'm a firm believer that we all have the right to end our lives if we feel it is our only option. I think certain people end their lives far too early, and for reasons that aren't always permanent. That being said, I defend an adult's right to end their lives if that is what they feel they must do.

I don't think suicide is usually an act of cowardice. People who call those who kill themselves from depression cowardly have clearly never experienced what excessive depression is like. It takes enormous amounts of courage to gain the strength to go against every instinctual urge you're programmed to have. I think every situation is circumstantial, therefore I won't say that all suicides aren't cowardly, nor will I say that all suicides aren't selfish.

The question I'm posing is this: is suicide a human right? I believe we're put on this earth without an option and we should be able to dictate when we leave it. Some will say that it is God's decision and not our own, and to that I say to each his own.

edit on 14-4-2012 by Skepticesque because: (no reason given)

Suicide = A one way ticket to Hell. May God have mercy on our souls.

Peace

reply to post by Skepticesque
No, it is selfish. You are only thinking of yourself, not others. Your parents, siblings. Live your life and go out when your number is up. Take your depression and turn it into a positve. The positve can be whatever you choose.

Originally posted by Manhater
I believe suicide is a human right. It is there body to do what they want to it and no one should intervene with that. If, I was ever in a vegetative state, I would never want to live like that and should have the right to kill myself. Or in that case, have someone do it for me. I don't think it's anyone's business but the person's. Government should not be involved and neither should the family.

edit on 14-4-2012 by Manhater because: (no reason given)

I guess I haven't really thought much about this issue; probably not too many people have. I would compare this issue to that of sexual and/or reproductive health; issues more commonly associated with women's rights. You could include abortion rights in this.

I agree the government should not be involved in these issues. The less the feds are involved the better.

While I agree that these individuals should be left to the individual, often people are left incapacitated due to injury or illness and can no longer make decisions for themselves. It is then left up to the next of kin or family to carry out that person's end of life issues. This is exactly why next of kin or the family has to be involved. It is best to have everybody on the same page so as to avoid problems at the end. I have seen this happen with organ donation time and time again. Although these rights should be left up to the individual, having the entire family in agreement can be just as critical.

reply to post by SubAce

tell me, an astute observer

Lets see!

A chicken dressed up any other way is still a chicken.

Nice of you to bring up chickens, If one could commit suicide, how could you tell him/her its "repugnant" knowing how we treat them. Mass slaughterings of whole families, no escape. Huge hypothetical I know but it serves a point that there are horrors in this world, maybe outside your understanding, that create horrific actions.

Without the truth of what happens after 'death', no one can preach about right or wrong. Thats a simple one in my eyes. Did you know there are places in the world who's people dont have a word for death, and when someone 'dies' the whole village celebrate. There are many different understandings on the whole scenario which simply means THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG, just our capacity for compassion, and understanding to those who make decisions we wouldnt.

If I were in Rwanda in 1995 I would be arguing with a bunch of ethnic hate mongers justifying genocide of an entire people. If I were in Germany 1938 I would be speaking to so-called Christian Arayn's justifying the mass slaughter of the Jews. If I were in Pol-Pots Cambodia I would be speaking with Communists justifying the whole-sale slaughter of their own people.

You talk about right and wrong, reason and understanding, yet you compare Hitler, and Pol-Pot to the posters who consider the question of suicide an inalienable right. Brother there is a world of difference between wanting to kill oneself and wanting to live while you kill others.

People with no moral integrity or understanding.

probably don't get that one!


Also an astute observer would be smart enough to refrain from making statements like

They really have you guys brain-washed good.

as this shows rather than contemplate each person, post, response on its own merits, with its own infinite amount of individual and unique details, you act morally superior, like you should be making decisions for everyone because they cant be trusted,
Seems to me TPTB got to you far more than anyone else.

reply to post by Skepticesque


This is a strange question/discussion for me to understand...It's really only valid for people who can't bring them selves to actually end their own life. Otherwise, you just do it...As for people who cannot actually end their own life, terminally ill, incapacitated, yes they should absolutely be able to end their life.

Let's be honest, we have religion to thank for this issue, for they are the ones that have programmed society for the past thousand years that killing yourself will send you straight to hell. The powerful(who the religious institutions are supported by) have pushed this philosophy because a dead person can't generate money.

Suicide is a natural reaction to pain and suffering, I just shake my head when I hear people call a person, who committed suicide a coward, and etc. The society we have created, and decide to live with, opposed to trying to change it, is what is responsible for suicide. Most of us are the real cowards. Happy to exist, while others suffer.

I think it should be a human right just like the families decision to "pull the plug" on another family member.

I don't think it's anyone else business if someone wants to commit suicide.

In many culture suicide is revered, and seen as a way to bring honor to yourself.

Now, am I saying if you find a family member or friend about to commit suicide you shouldn't try to stop them? No. Absolutely not, I would try and stop someone if I was there. I just think it's their right to end their life if they feel that's their best option. I've been in that boat and working through it made me a stronger person.

You didnt create/bring yourself to life. You cant take away your life simple as that. stop letting insignifigant # get you down and deal with life, suicide is no escape that i can assure you. Simple as that

Originally posted by InspirationEverywhere

My answer is yes. Each person, if they truly want to leave this place, has every and any right to do so.

My question is, what do we consider suicide? Another topic I know, but if I put a gun to my head and pull the trigger, I committed suicide, its very simply suicide and people will agree or disagree with my choices.

If I smoke 80 cigarettes a day for 40 years and die of lung cancer, How can that not be considered suicide?

If I eat unhealthy, fatty foods for years, never exercise and have a heart attack that is directly linked to my eating, How is that not suicide?

So what is the question, Do I have the right to instantly end my life?
or, Do I have the right to slowly, periodically kill myself?

Maybe there are more people committing suicide right now then anyone could ever imagine, We simply dont label it as such.

Thanks for this InspirationEverywhere, this is part of the point I was attempting to make...I agree completely.

What I find interesting about those who are opposed to suicide being a human right is this:

Every single one of us are slowly killing ourselves. Whether intentional or not, we are ingesting carcinogens and putting foods in our bodies that can bring forth fatal results in the long run.

There is no escaping this. We are killing ourselves slowly every single day. Maybe not with a gun or noose, but with what we consume and how we consume it.