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Why the instinct to survive?
#31
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 9:42 pm)LostDays Wrote:
(November 9, 2014 at 9:35 pm)PerfectRecall17 Wrote: Note how that while most of us realize that it's all pointless, we go on living our lives anyway.

But why... and why do human beings seem to be the only living organism that contemplates suicide?

What sort of why-answer are you looking for? Life and experience is everything. There isn't anything to trade it in for.

Frankly you continually ask the sorts of questions xtian apologists often do, questions which it only makes sense to ask if you think there is really a supernatural punchline to the big questions.
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#32
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
So... if you're here for actual discussion, why didn't you address the meat of my reply to you?

Quote:As someone who contemplates suicide every day, and several times a day sometimes, I can tell you "why" I don't end my life: my sister would be devastated, and so would my friends the rest of my family. It's as simple as that, but that's just me. The best answer to the question, "what is stopping me from ending my life?" is "what has stopped you from ending it until now?"

People have given you actual, real reasons, but you've chosen to cherry-pick statements which have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Care to take a deep breath and start over?
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#33
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
Or just go fishing for souls somewhere else. You aren't really all that clever with your cover story. Anyone here buying it?
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#34
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 10:24 pm)rexbeccarox Wrote: So... if you're here for actual discussion, why didn't you address the meat of my reply to you?

Quote:As someone who contemplates suicide every day, and several times a day sometimes, I can tell you "why" I don't end my life: my sister would be devastated, and so would my friends the rest of my family. It's as simple as that, but that's just me. The best answer to the question, "what is stopping me from ending my life?" is "what has stopped you from ending it until now?"

People have given you actual, real reasons, but you've chosen to cherry-pick statements which have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Care to take a deep breath and start over?

I think I'm being misinterpreted here, not trying to come across as being hostile at all.. I'm genuinely glad. Guess I'll have to choose my words more carefully next time... beauty of interpreting text rather than the actual way it was intended.

Anyways,

I work with patients who have also thought the same way but now feel like it is selfish to only live for other people. My cousin actually asked me this last week and that is why this topic means so much to me as it does... and why I feel a sense of urgency. She can't continue to stay here on earth just to avoid upsetting all of us that love her.. or so she says.. and I am at a complete loss of what to say to her other than the usual mental health related stuff.
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#35
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 9:29 pm)LostDays Wrote: I don't feel like sitting here all night to search through postings to see when this was last asked and I would like some fresh responses anyways... Why the instinct to survive?

Organic organisms spend an amazing amount of effort surviving, expending and collecting energy... Are human beings the only ones to ever stop and question why?

Why all the effort if all you are going to do is eat, sleep and shit anyways?

Why any effort at all, period.

"Hey! How exactly is a rainbow made? How exactly does a sun set? How exactly does a posi-trac rear-end on a Plymouth work? It just does."

Seriously though, we have the instinct to survive so we can....survive. It's genetics and ties into the natural selection part of evolution. Reproduce. To ask why further than that is to insinuate that there has to be purpose. Purpose in life is what you make it.
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#36
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
I don't want to sit around and wait for the dreaded phone call that something awful happened to her. She pretends nothing is wrong when authority figures, and therapists come around... She also suffers from Asperger syndrome and I am really concerned. We have tried many things.. that is why I keep coming back to these 'stupid questions' I guess as someone called them... because I'm hoping if I hear the right answer.. I can say something to her that will change her mind for good, and be able to help her realize that life is worth living.. and not just her but all of my patients, or any other lost souls I come across in my lifetime.

There isn't enough help for people and I want to be the one to make whatever changes possible.
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#37
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm)LostDays Wrote: My cousin actually asked me this last week and that is why this topic means so much to me as it does... and why I feel a sense of urgency. She can't continue to stay here on earth just to avoid upsetting all of us that love her.. or so she says.. and I am at a complete loss of what to say to her other than the usual mental health related stuff.

So if I'm reading this right (let me know if I'm not)... she thinks that ending her life will upset you and your family less?

I would correct her on that.
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#38
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 10:34 pm)LostDays Wrote: I don't want to sit around and wait for the dreaded phone call that something awful happened to her. She pretends nothing is wrong when authority figures, and therapists come around... She also suffers from Asperger syndrome and I am really concerned. We have tried many things.. that is why I keep coming back to these 'stupid questions' I guess as someone called them... because I'm hoping if I hear the right answer.. I can say something to her that will change her mind for good, and be able to help her realize that life is worth living.

That's the thing, though, darlin'... to a major depressive (I'm talking from experience), the will to survive isn't as strong as it is to someone who isn't mentally ill. You're not going to get "the right answer" because there isn't one. If there were, we wouldn't ever have to deal with suicide. I pretend nothing is wrong too, but it always is. I can't help it, and I would wager, neither can she. All you can do is be there when she calls, maybe suggest therapy and meds, and hope she continues to survive for whatever reasons she hasn't ended it yet.

I'm sorry to break bad news to you... I truly am; but dealing with depressed people isn't easy. Just try to be a reason for her to survive, but know that if you can't, it's not your fault.
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#39
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 10:30 pm)whateverist Wrote: Or just go fishing for souls somewhere else. You aren't really all that clever with your cover story. Anyone here buying it?

If this post was me trying to get answers from people because I actually felt this way, I would go onto a support website... Not a debate website like this one.. I love her a lot, we grew up together so we are really close... Why is that so hard to understand?!

(November 9, 2014 at 10:37 pm)PerfectRecall17 Wrote:
(November 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm)LostDays Wrote: My cousin actually asked me this last week and that is why this topic means so much to me as it does... and why I feel a sense of urgency. She can't continue to stay here on earth just to avoid upsetting all of us that love her.. or so she says.. and I am at a complete loss of what to say to her other than the usual mental health related stuff.

So if I'm reading this right (let me know if I'm not)... she thinks that ending her life will upset you and your family less?

She just said she feels drained, she feels like she just survives in order to prevent more heartache to her Mom, me, and the rest of the family members.. just like Rebecca said.. same thing for my cousin. I don't feel like I could live with myself if something ever happened to her and I didn't feel like I did everything in my power to help her.
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#40
RE: Why the instinct to survive?
(November 9, 2014 at 10:40 pm)LostDays Wrote:
(November 9, 2014 at 10:37 pm)PerfectRecall17 Wrote: So if I'm reading this right (let me know if I'm not)... she thinks that ending her life will upset you and your family less?

She just said she feels drained, she feels like she just survives in order to prevent more heartache to her Mom, me, and the rest of the family members.. just like Rebecca said.. same thing for my cousin. I don't feel like I could live with myself if something ever happened to her and I didn't feel like I did everything in my power to help her.

(bold mine)

You are doing everything in your power, believe me. You just can't have much of it in a situation such as this. Again, I'm sorry Sad
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