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The Forum > Article Comments > It's time to confront the deadliest demon of them all > Comments

It's time to confront the deadliest demon of them all : Comments

By Dan Haesler, published 4/11/2010

One Australian boy or girl suicides every four days and another ten to twenty try.

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Very well written Dan. I myself am a survivor of depression attempting suicide 5 times in my teens. I have since come to master the 'Black Dog' but I am one of the lucky ones. Suicide should be talked about - anyone who says that it may promote copy-cat's DOES NOT know what they are talking about. Yes, there will always be that one or two who follow, but there will always be far, far more who will be helped by the simple knowledge that 'you are not alone', let alone what help they may receive from the wider community. I would have been far better off if I knew back then what I do now.

It is my strongest conviction that it should be mandatory for all people to learn about depression and suicide, to learn the warning signs and how to help. I have placed my name down for the ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) course run through LifeLine Australia and I encourage everyone else to do the same. My mother, a teacher herself, has already completed the course and could not talk it up enough.

Depression, Suicide and Mental Illness should be centre stage in our society - not at liberty to kill indiscriminately in the shadows.
Posted by Arthur N, Thursday, 4 November 2010 9:16:07 AM
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One factor that leads to teenage suicide is the uncertain sexuality or homosexuality of some teenagers and the resultant teasing or bullying by other students. Who can the student turn to? Parents may have disapproving attitudes. The school chaplain provided by the fundamentalist Scripture Union may mouth the Biblical injunctions favoured by fundamentalists and increase the student's feelings of inadequacy or guilt. That may tip the student over the edge.

To fight that demon replace the chaplains with trained counsellors who are equipped to deal with those feelings or with other feelings that can lead to suicide.
Posted by david f, Thursday, 4 November 2010 9:33:00 AM
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Depression is the most common of mental illnesses, but society as a whole pretends it's not there. To deny the elephant in the living room says a lot about how healthy our society really is.

Depression is a taboo subject, in the same category as incest, pornography, domestic violence, and abortion and euthanasia.

By staying in a state of denial, the whole of society is poisoning itself by saying it cares not a whit for its most vulnerable victims. Such a civilisation is hardly worth standing up for.
Posted by SHRODE, Thursday, 4 November 2010 10:03:11 AM
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davidf in his usual manner makes the ridiculous link with chaplaincy and suicide. Much more likely the permissive view of secularism which leads to the degrading of young boys and girls contributes to the much higher rates of suicide than ever before. The lack of sexual morals re enforced by the porn industry rather than the guidance of decent values is much more the culprit than Davidf's bandwagon. The breakdown of the family unit, sexual immorality, sexual and emotional abuse by predominantly step parents and the lack of boundaries has proven an absolute disaster for young people needing guidance and acceptance. When clear moral guidelines were given the suicide rate was much lower. The number of boys topping themselves because of relationship breakdown( largely because people can't be faithful anymore) is extremely high. I have seen it many times over.
Posted by runner, Thursday, 4 November 2010 11:11:10 AM
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Runner: davidf in his usual manner makes the ridiculous link with chaplaincy and suicide. Much more likely the permissive view of secularism which leads to the degrading of young boys and girls contributes to the much higher rates of suicide than ever before.

Hmm... The Christian Teleban always go straight for the throat & accuse secularism of all the ill of society. Where-as I believe in the old saying, "Curiosity killed the cat, information brought it back."

I also believe that nature has a way of dealing with the unfit. One of those ways is suicide. Therefore, I know it's sad , but suicide is natures way of eliminating problems within nature. Nature knows best.

The Greenies should go along with this as they exhort being one with nature.

It's the Politically Correct sookies that start crying & beating their chests that make the problem worse. They also seem to be the type of people that are most likely to commit suicide. Thankfully.

The question is, Why should society try to protect the unfit from themselves? The kindest thing to do is to allow them to achieve their aim. Society, then doesn't have to spend millions looking after them. This money could then be channeled into educating the naturally fit to enhance society.

Hard? Yes, but then, so is nature.
Posted by Jayb, Thursday, 4 November 2010 11:57:35 AM
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I wonder what impact the legalisation of assisted suicide/ euthanasia would have on this?
Posted by JP, Thursday, 4 November 2010 11:58:26 AM
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