I appreciate your willingness to engage with this subject, especially through the lens of philosophical exploration. Having lived through the complexities of this topic for years, and feeling very passionate about it, I wanted to offer my perspective.
The comparison you draw between abortion and suicide feels dangerous to me, primarily because it risks oversimplifying both issues. The choice to have an abortion, while deeply personal and often difficult, is fundamentally different from choosing to end one’s life. Pro-Choice is about autonomy over one's body and the future of a potential life, while suicide is the irreversible decision to end a lived life. To equate them in this context feels like it undermines the gravity and the complexity of suicide, particularly in how it often emerges from extreme mental distress and a distorted sense of self-worth.
From my own experience and research, I believe that suicide is often an impulsive decision, one made in a state of mind that doesn't reflect the reality or potential of a person’s life. Mental health crises can cloud judgment, making it difficult to see beyond the pain of the present moment. And while I absolutely recognize the importance of personal autonomy, I feel very passionately that suicide, in most cases, is preventable. It is a heartbreaking consequence of a world that hasn’t fully learned how to support people through their darkest times. Of course, there are exceptions, but the majority of cases, I believe, involve a distorted perception of reality that can be transformed with the right intervention, understanding, and care.
I do think there’s a critical distinction between advocating for personal choice and recognizing the devastating impact of suicide on both the individual and their community. Suicide prevention doesn’t dismiss the right of individuals to feel heard and seen, but it acknowledges that, often, the person experiencing that pain doesn’t have the full clarity of choice in their state. The belief that all suicide is preventable comes from a place of care and hope, knowing that every life has the potential to shift, to heal, and to find a different future beyond the unbearable now.
Ultimately, I believe we all have a collective responsibility to create a world that offers more pathways to healing, more spaces for people to feel authentically, and more structures of support that prevent someone from feeling that ending their life is the only option left.
This is wonderful, thank you for sharing and commenting! It’s always important to hear other perspectives and gain insight and knowledge. I do agree with most of what you write, especially that people can be helped however I’m not sure why the comparison to pro-choice is dangerous. We are talking about the exact same thing, personal autonomy. While I’m not a woman and can’t speak for any other women, I do know that women have resources to speak to people prior to choosing to have an abortion. Is that not identical to the resources you speak of for a person seeking to end their life? Is it not dangerous to have “rules” for what is a choice and what isn’t? If we are giving a person full autonomy then that full autonomy doesn’t come with stipulations.
I’ve lived through this as well, and fortunately was able to turn myself around in 2019– even writing a script to a film about it. I had outlets, I had people to speak to, I had a therapist, I was not mentally unstable to make that decision and yet I chose not to. Though I feel anyone should have that choice. None of what I wrote argues against prevention or therapy or seeking help, but only that the choice falls solely on the individual and if they aren’t given any choice in having a life, then the choice to not have one lies entirely with them.
But thank you, seriously. It’s a heavy and challenging topic and your perspective is greatly appreciated. I had this newsletter drafted for about 6 months when I was dealing with some major health complications. I was too scared to send it since— but I saved it knowing one day, I would like to put it into the world. :)
Thank you for your thoughtful response! I know it is a leap to share this into the world and I appreciate the space for this topic. I'm glad you arrived to a space where it felt safe to put it in the world.
While I understand your point about autonomy, I still feel strongly that comparing abortion to suicide can be harmful, particularly from a harm reduction perspective. For individuals that are struggling with mental health, the idea of personal autonomy could be interpreted in ways that empower them to make a decision that is not in their best interest. When someone is experiencing mental distress, their judgment can be clouded. A message that equates suicide with exercising autonomy might be empowering in the wrong way. It could lead someone vulnerable to think of it as an acceptable or even empowered choice, rather than a momentary crisis that could be helped with the right support. This is essentially what I meant by dangerous.
At the heart of my project is a passion for suicide prevention and harm reduction, and I truly believe that, for most people, suicide is preventable with the right care and resources. That doesn’t mean we should dismiss their feelings or autonomy, especially if someone can make a clear decision with support. However, I think we need to be cautious about framing suicide as a choice made with full clarity, particularly for those who may not be in a mental state to make that decision safely.
I hope this helps clarify my perspective, I know words read can leave a lasting impression on anyone struggling. thank you for being open to this conversation and holding space for a dialogue! That is the beauty of art, opening doors to more depth...
I completely understand your perspective and it’s one I never thought of before! Thank you so much. I didn’t know if I’d receive any response at all but I’m glad to have gotten yours! 🖤
Thank you so much for writing and posting this, truly and deeply. Being able to have dialogue and well thought conversations about suicide is vital to understanding perspective, context and reasoning beyond mental illness and drug abuse. I want to add that I think we often overlook the physical pain that suicides endure on a daily basis, not just mental, that often lead them to making the choice to take their life. This is not always something that can be "fixed" with medication and counseling. Suicide is immensely complicated, and although I truly believe everyone with feelings of self harm deserves to be given a life line, care, hope and love of what life can be on the other side, ultimately it is no one else's choice to make, and those of us left living have to remember that.
Mike, it would appear many of our messages are aligned. Veterans are a tough nut to crack and I want to share this. I appreciate your candor. I wholly agree with all of your logic and that is all that matters. Here is my conundrum. Most of the 22+\- veterans we lose to suicide, I ask why? Here is the thing I have discovered after a weak near failure myself. I was feeling like I didn’t see how I fit in society again. Lost and suffering only the pain of my reality. The absurdity alone of flying in and out of war zones will have paradigm altering effects on people that think deeply. I was an Infantry Leader. I discovered is the suffering veterans like myself coped with is due to a lack of understanding and research. It was inflicted upon them. And I have to get them past that thing that they are innocent of. I managed to. Barely. It is now my responsibility to show them the way OUT. I survived and now I see so many lies. Thank you for sharing fellow awesome human.
Perfect. Everyone should read this.
I appreciate your willingness to engage with this subject, especially through the lens of philosophical exploration. Having lived through the complexities of this topic for years, and feeling very passionate about it, I wanted to offer my perspective.
The comparison you draw between abortion and suicide feels dangerous to me, primarily because it risks oversimplifying both issues. The choice to have an abortion, while deeply personal and often difficult, is fundamentally different from choosing to end one’s life. Pro-Choice is about autonomy over one's body and the future of a potential life, while suicide is the irreversible decision to end a lived life. To equate them in this context feels like it undermines the gravity and the complexity of suicide, particularly in how it often emerges from extreme mental distress and a distorted sense of self-worth.
From my own experience and research, I believe that suicide is often an impulsive decision, one made in a state of mind that doesn't reflect the reality or potential of a person’s life. Mental health crises can cloud judgment, making it difficult to see beyond the pain of the present moment. And while I absolutely recognize the importance of personal autonomy, I feel very passionately that suicide, in most cases, is preventable. It is a heartbreaking consequence of a world that hasn’t fully learned how to support people through their darkest times. Of course, there are exceptions, but the majority of cases, I believe, involve a distorted perception of reality that can be transformed with the right intervention, understanding, and care.
I do think there’s a critical distinction between advocating for personal choice and recognizing the devastating impact of suicide on both the individual and their community. Suicide prevention doesn’t dismiss the right of individuals to feel heard and seen, but it acknowledges that, often, the person experiencing that pain doesn’t have the full clarity of choice in their state. The belief that all suicide is preventable comes from a place of care and hope, knowing that every life has the potential to shift, to heal, and to find a different future beyond the unbearable now.
Ultimately, I believe we all have a collective responsibility to create a world that offers more pathways to healing, more spaces for people to feel authentically, and more structures of support that prevent someone from feeling that ending their life is the only option left.
This is wonderful, thank you for sharing and commenting! It’s always important to hear other perspectives and gain insight and knowledge. I do agree with most of what you write, especially that people can be helped however I’m not sure why the comparison to pro-choice is dangerous. We are talking about the exact same thing, personal autonomy. While I’m not a woman and can’t speak for any other women, I do know that women have resources to speak to people prior to choosing to have an abortion. Is that not identical to the resources you speak of for a person seeking to end their life? Is it not dangerous to have “rules” for what is a choice and what isn’t? If we are giving a person full autonomy then that full autonomy doesn’t come with stipulations.
I’ve lived through this as well, and fortunately was able to turn myself around in 2019– even writing a script to a film about it. I had outlets, I had people to speak to, I had a therapist, I was not mentally unstable to make that decision and yet I chose not to. Though I feel anyone should have that choice. None of what I wrote argues against prevention or therapy or seeking help, but only that the choice falls solely on the individual and if they aren’t given any choice in having a life, then the choice to not have one lies entirely with them.
But thank you, seriously. It’s a heavy and challenging topic and your perspective is greatly appreciated. I had this newsletter drafted for about 6 months when I was dealing with some major health complications. I was too scared to send it since— but I saved it knowing one day, I would like to put it into the world. :)
Thank you for your thoughtful response! I know it is a leap to share this into the world and I appreciate the space for this topic. I'm glad you arrived to a space where it felt safe to put it in the world.
While I understand your point about autonomy, I still feel strongly that comparing abortion to suicide can be harmful, particularly from a harm reduction perspective. For individuals that are struggling with mental health, the idea of personal autonomy could be interpreted in ways that empower them to make a decision that is not in their best interest. When someone is experiencing mental distress, their judgment can be clouded. A message that equates suicide with exercising autonomy might be empowering in the wrong way. It could lead someone vulnerable to think of it as an acceptable or even empowered choice, rather than a momentary crisis that could be helped with the right support. This is essentially what I meant by dangerous.
At the heart of my project is a passion for suicide prevention and harm reduction, and I truly believe that, for most people, suicide is preventable with the right care and resources. That doesn’t mean we should dismiss their feelings or autonomy, especially if someone can make a clear decision with support. However, I think we need to be cautious about framing suicide as a choice made with full clarity, particularly for those who may not be in a mental state to make that decision safely.
I hope this helps clarify my perspective, I know words read can leave a lasting impression on anyone struggling. thank you for being open to this conversation and holding space for a dialogue! That is the beauty of art, opening doors to more depth...
I completely understand your perspective and it’s one I never thought of before! Thank you so much. I didn’t know if I’d receive any response at all but I’m glad to have gotten yours! 🖤
Thank you so much for writing and posting this, truly and deeply. Being able to have dialogue and well thought conversations about suicide is vital to understanding perspective, context and reasoning beyond mental illness and drug abuse. I want to add that I think we often overlook the physical pain that suicides endure on a daily basis, not just mental, that often lead them to making the choice to take their life. This is not always something that can be "fixed" with medication and counseling. Suicide is immensely complicated, and although I truly believe everyone with feelings of self harm deserves to be given a life line, care, hope and love of what life can be on the other side, ultimately it is no one else's choice to make, and those of us left living have to remember that.
Thank you for sharing your feelings on this heavy topic!
Mike, it would appear many of our messages are aligned. Veterans are a tough nut to crack and I want to share this. I appreciate your candor. I wholly agree with all of your logic and that is all that matters. Here is my conundrum. Most of the 22+\- veterans we lose to suicide, I ask why? Here is the thing I have discovered after a weak near failure myself. I was feeling like I didn’t see how I fit in society again. Lost and suffering only the pain of my reality. The absurdity alone of flying in and out of war zones will have paradigm altering effects on people that think deeply. I was an Infantry Leader. I discovered is the suffering veterans like myself coped with is due to a lack of understanding and research. It was inflicted upon them. And I have to get them past that thing that they are innocent of. I managed to. Barely. It is now my responsibility to show them the way OUT. I survived and now I see so many lies. Thank you for sharing fellow awesome human.