Suicide - for the greater good

At what point should someone consider suicide as, not an 'easy' way out, but as a way of making the lives of others better? Surely if ending my life ultimately improves the lives of others then it's selfish for me not to do it!

I live with a great burden, one that I alone carry, it's not like I've hurt anyone, but in my eyes it's akin to murder! My closest friends don't know a thing, nor do I want them to.

Any thoughts as to what I should do?

No suicide never does anyone else any good, and it almost always causes a ton of damage to other people.

Anyone who cares about you would be extremely devastated and damaged. And most of the time when people think that nobody cares about them, they're wrong.

When a person suffers with something that can sometimes make life difficult for others, it's still a massive service to society. It helps teach others patience and empathy, for one. It also shows vulnerability so that others can know it's okay for them to be vulnerable, too.

Also people who suffer in various ways then have that level of understanding that only those who suffer those ways can have, which makes it possible for them to empathize and take under their wings those in the future who are new to that type of suffering.

When a person commits suicide, they send the message to everyone else in the world who is suffering in a similar way that, "Your life is worthless and there is no hope." How the hell is that for the greater good.

Even when we feel we have nothing ourselves right now, we will always have potential value to others. Always. And it is my firm belief that we have a duty to our brethren as humans to not take that gift for granted. We have the power to help and comfort others, so how dare we throw that away like it's worthless.

It may sound corny as all hell, but I believe it is true: When you are at the very end of your rope, just start loving people. If it's all you have left in the world, to love other people, then all you have left is the most important and valuable thing in existence. And you will always have it. Nobody can take it away form you. You can only lose it if you throw it away.

Suicide hurts an awful lot of people. Family, friends, acquientances, neighbours, workmates, schoolmates... Suicide is an extreme and very final act. And it's not like anybody believes the note left saying "it's not your fault" -- everyone presumes it's their fault. There is no such thing as suicide for the greater good, with possible exception of some dictators (who tend to live long and prosper).

Gingertommy, I have felt the exact same way that you have: I am a burden and in a lot of pain; if I kill myself then it will make other people's lives better and I will no longer be in pain. I can't say that I don't still feel that way, all the time, but I try to remind myself that other people I've known that have killed themselves (I've known three) probably felt the same way, but it actually made other's lives worse. My grandmother's husband (my step-grandfather, I guess) hanged himself. I know he felt like he was a burden to other people, because he had a lot of physical problems (like bad), he lost his job and he tried to start his own businesses, but they all failed. So he handing himself in his basement. My grandmother found him and it really messed her up. She was devastated and she still isn't the same (this happened 2 years ago, actually 2 years ago last week). He had just taken his daughter to the airport before he killed himself and his daughter blamed herself and has been in therapy ever since. His neighbor was the last person to see him. She asked him if he would help her with something and he said he would be right over, but hanged himself instead and she blames herself for not knowing and thinking that she caused it. It hurts too many people!

Even if you feel like no one will really care if you kill yourself it will hurt the people who know you. They will feel like they failed you, it really won't be a good thing for anyone.

As you get older, you learn to accept death better. We all have to do it sometime. My grandmother and her aunt lived to be over 100.

I would rather live a fulfilling life than a long one. I'm 56, and I'm done. I'm in physical pain all the time, I tried to get disability but since I have an advanced degree and 30 years of experience supposedly I can work. Who is going to hire an old cripple? I've gone through my savings, and I'm not yet old enough to draw the Social Security I paid into.

I'm tired. I'm broke. The only reason I'm alive is because my mother still is, and I can't hurt her. When I go it will look like an accident. I have it figured out. Because of my muscular dystrophy I fall so much, it's a wonder I haven't cracked my head open already. Yeah you heard it - I have MD and CANNOT get disability payments. That comes from the Social Security I have paid into the system.

I have depression, anxiety, severe insomnia, deformed knees and feet, and my hands have atrophied so much it's hard to keep a job as a computer programmer. In my heyday I was awesome. Now I can't do anything. If I find a job, it's over after my first injury.

So I'm done. I seriously have nothing to live for except to keep from hurting my mother. My only sibling died in 1988, and I couldn't stand her going through that again. My kids are grown and have their own lives. I broke my foot 3 months ago, and it was such a bad break I'm just now healing. Did they come and help me around the house when I needed them? No - they were too busy having fun. That shows how important I am to them. My husband died 25 years ago, and I worked hard taking care of them.

I tried going to a psychiatrist, and all they did was write a prescription and bill me $300. I wanted to talk, and they didn't. The world is not what is used to be, and I can't live like this anymore.