Suicide Prevention Sheds a Longstanding Taboo: Talking About Attempts

Serious question: is someone who attempts suicide in the same group as someone who successfully commits suicide?<p>For instance, far more men commit suicide. But far more women attempt suicide:<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_differences_in_suicide" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Gender_differences_in_suicide</a><p>I&#x27;m sure there are other differences. To me, the questions are:<p>1. Why do people fail at suicide attempts?<p>2. Will information that dissuades a failed suicide attempt dissuade someone from making a successful suicide attempt?

&quot;...in the past few years, scores of them have come together on social media and in other forums to demand a bigger voice in prevention efforts.&quot;<p>Wha-?<p>I&#x27;m by no means a heartless person. However, I truly believe if you don&#x27;t want to live any more, that it&#x27;s your right and your responsibility.<p>I&#x27;m not in your head. I don&#x27;t know what you&#x27;re thinking. Most of the time, I won&#x27;t even know that you&#x27;re depressed. Many people mask it very well. Why is it my fault that you decided to kill yourself?

The longstanding taboo I think is actually allowing people to commit suicide. This question rarely enters the debate.

This is stupid. And I can&#x27;t believe it doesn&#x27;t sound stupid to those who are the most likely to attempt suicide seriously.<p>Why doesn&#x27;t anyone talk about &quot;misery prevention&quot; ?

I&#x27;ve contemplated suicide off-and-on since age 6. It&#x27;s just a working part of my language. No successful attempts, or failed attempts, or whatever grammar is being built here.<p>It might partly be influenced by a Tourette&#x27;s like underlying structure, which would here make it more publicly, or in terms of a biological profile, a symptom. Usually all we see are symptoms in the narration of science.