A police officer in Mexico prevents someone's suicide attempt, on a bridge, with no safety equipment.

[u/bendubberley_]

[u/pudgehooks2013]

Yeah, people always cheer for these videos, which I completely understand.

I don't think they understand that there is at least an equal chance that all this did was prolong and exacerbate this guys suffering.

However, in this particular case, clearly this guy didn't want to die. You don't stand on the edge of oblivion, with the intent to die, only to be distracted by random people and start arguing with them.

[u/DontEatNitrousOxide → u/pudgehooks2013]

Could have been scared of the process of dying more than dying itself. There's no guarantee it's fast or painless, or even effective, especially if falling from a great height.

[u/finnjakefionnacake → u/DontEatNitrousOxide]

right, but that's the point. he picked a public way of dying with not 100% certainty, and he was up there for a while. which means he was not 100% sure. people who reallly want to do it will do it.

[u/Tiny-heart-string → u/pudgehooks2013]

They offered him a cig 🚬 and he took it. So maybe he is mentally off. But, people assuming the notion that if you don’t want to be in this world anymore, something is wrong with you, I could never get behind that understanding

[u/Gorogoro415 → u/pudgehooks2013]

"The so-called ‘psychotically depressed’ person who tries to kill herself doesn’t do so out of quote ‘hopelessness’ or any abstract conviction that life’s assets and debits do not square. And surely not because death seems suddenly appealing. The person in whom Its invisible agony reaches a certain unendurable level will kill herself the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise. Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window just checking out the view; i.e. the fear of falling remains a constant. The variable here is the other terror, the fire’s flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames."

Edit to add the source of the text: https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/4yufkg/one_of_the_most_powerful_descriptions_of_suicide/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

[u/pudgehooks2013 → u/Gorogoro415]

One persons perspective. Well written of course, its from DFW.

I can tell you for a fact that the opposite is also true.

Sometimes jumping from the flames brings you serenity.

[u/Gorogoro415 → u/pudgehooks2013]

Sorry, I think I misunderstood your original comment.I agree with you, I thought you were underestimating the guy's pain when saying "he didn't want to die".

[u/Fun_Intention9846 → u/pudgehooks2013]

Many people who want to do don’t exhaust all options before they make an attempt. I’m not saying it will fix it but it might make it more bearable.

Too many people try because of passing state of intense mental distress.

Counterpoint. Euthanasia for medical reasons should be legal.

[u/mmmmmbeefy → u/pudgehooks2013]

I think every action possible should always be taken to prevent any suicide attempt. yes - they may very well end up taking their life at the next attempt, but if only one suicide attempt that is stopped results in an eventual recovery and saving of that person's life - then that alone would justify each and every attempt for any other. Life is too valuable.

[u/pudgehooks2013 → u/mmmmmbeefy]

I am going to use a hot topic example to explain my perspective.

People should be free to decide what happens to their own body.

If you are someone that thinks women should be allowed to have abortions, then I think it is highly hypocritical of you to have your opinion.

Please understand, that I am not talking about the specific action, I am talking about the general principle. It doesn't matter what the action is, abortion, suicide, tattoo, even a haircut. The stakes of the action make no difference, the base line principle of bodily autonomy is what matters.

Everyone should be free to have total autonomy over their bodies.

I know you are going to argue from the side of, suicidal people are mentally unwell, and that may be true. But being suicidal doesn't diminish your metal capacity. You can't claim that someone suicidal doesn't understand their actions, it is inherent to being suicidal that they understand.