I had commented off the cuff on a thread last night and my cousin posted it to his page Action for Suicide Prevention Tipperary, so I thought Id share it here too. Our attitude to suicide is so warped in this country. For anyone interested in the topic, James Hillmans Suicide and the Soul is well worth a read. We see death as a failure of life, rather than an ultimate exit, and what we do to people who feel this way is to pathologise what they feel. So often what people who feel suicidal want is an end to pain, rather than an end to life. They feel closed in, backed into a corner, into a place with no way out other than an end of life way out. And our response in society, somewhat understandably, and somewhat ego based, is that we hold on extra tight to people in this place. And in that we squeeze the tiny bit of space they feel they have into an even tinier space. We hospitalise them, medicate them, we remove their power and responsibility. We vow not on my watch. In working with people in this very dark place, one of the most profound things we can offer is a place where they can talk and say the unsayable without fear of a fear based reaction. Suicide is a very real choice in no way out situations, but it isnt the only way out. When we remove the stigma, and view this dark place as an understandable stop along the human journey, we give people who already feel so disempowered, through trauma, abuse, financial stress, relationship breakdown etc. the opportunity to regain their power and to own their choices, and in that we can hope that with support, love and understanding, that they will choose life. We can hope it, we can facilitate it, but we cant demand it, and in that we create a space where life can exist, where pain can turn to healing, but most of all, where we do not take power from people already disempowered, where we offer people the power to choose and with that the acceptance of the responsibility that comes with that power. We all could do with looking at what suicide means to us. Is it as James Hillman explains the issue of our body and soul belonging, not to ourselves, but to God, King & Country, and therefore is not our to take? Or like in Brian Keenans An Evil Cradling, does someone elses exit from life at their own hand, call into question our our continuation in the struggle that is life? Does it bring us to somewhere wed rather not go, not even acknowledge? Is our life our own, or owned by others? What is it about suicide by direct action rather than slow burning suicide through addiction and high risk harmful behaviours that triggers so much in us? To best sit with those, in that dark place, we need first to acknowledge the dark place their suffering brings us to, and how comfortable or uncomfortable we are with that. Notice what it brings up for you, what fits, what it stirs or disturbs, and how that is for you to be with that. (Donijka)
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 09:33:48 +0000
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