This is an Article by Taylor Jones about the Gray Area of Suicidal Thoughts
http://themighty.com/2016/03/when-youre-suicidal-but-you-dont-want-to-die/
The truth is there is a grayness to everything.(criminal/noncriminal, disabled/non-disabled..etc)..but some labels can be rather insidious. They can be obtrusive and can encourage a domino effect of actions.
Telling people that they are suicidal... it's a very unforgiving label, and we give it to the most vulnerable people. People who are actively seeking help, or at least crying out for it.
When we should be actively including, a label can create a huge wall of exclusion.
When someone approaches me with suicidal tendencies, I'm always caught between encouraging them to seek help and encouraging them to avoid being labeled.
Since once people are labeled, they fall into it. The expectation becomes the reality. It becomes hard for them to build themselves up.
Even me, who understands they dynamics of this process, I fall into these traps. When someone labels themselves as suicidal, it can be awkward to help. A label conjures up fear. What if your advice gets scribbled on some suicide note?
What's the rational thing to do to a suicidal person? Lock them up, and turn your back, when they are not looking. Tell yourself, 'the professionals will handle this'
..but really what you did was turn your back against a fellow human being...
... that label of being suicidal made that action seem like the most rational thing in the world....
when in reality, it's just fucked up.
No comments:
Post a Comment