Does it take courage or cowardice to commit suicide?

[Shell B]

Neither.

Usually its mental illness or being in a terminal condition of sorts anyway and not wanting to suffer more before you go.

Depression is often linked with a kind of emotional numbness.  Depression robs people of joy. Food tastes bland. Entertainment is boring. Music is just noise.  Suicide is just another form of self-harm that sometimes comes from a misguided attempt to feel something, anything. It does not take courage to dispose of what one thinks has no value.

Been there. Done that. Nuf' said.

That's not everyone's experience of suicide or depression. The chemicals or lack thereof do what they will and people experience it based on a number of factors. Depression is feeling too much to function for me. Every single solitary thing becomes horribly difficult because I don't want to feel anything. I know that it's numbness for others. Maybe it's because I have rampant anxiety that causes occasional depression.

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I would agree with this, though I think if you’re suffering a terminal illness it probably takes courage to end your life.
It’s so much more complicated than just saying courage or cowardice. The notion seems ridiculous

I actually don't think it's courageous to end your life with a terminal illness, because it is taking the easy way out. With that being said, I don't find it cowardly either. It just is what it is.

People might argue that leaving your family, friends and life behind so that they and you can suffer less is not the easy way at all. I read an article written by a woman whose friend chose assisted suicide over some progressive disease that was robbing her of bodily functions slowly. The woman had a "life party" to celebrate her life with friends, then she went to the top of a hill with only her closest family members and lay upon a bed they had placed up there for her. The friend said she heard a visceral scream come from the woman, who clearly lamented the loss of her own life, but knew it was the best choice. I doubt either would have said it was the easier way. She just chose to do it her way.