Does it take courage or cowardice to commit suicide?

[Angrboda]

I think that hope requires a reasonable expectation that the thing hoped for can reasonably be achieved. If one is denied this either by nature of mental infirmness, or by the simple reality that one is facing, such as with a terminal illness, then I think it reasonable to consider ending one's life. To expect a person who is deprived of hope to act otherwise, is, I think onerous and unreasonable. Hope is an essential ingredient for life, and without it, all options are undesirable. I don't think choosing death in that situation is an example of cowardice.

As to the rest, I agree that it's going to depend a lot upon the specifics. In my case, my suicidal impulses were fueled by the delusion that I was a stranded soul, in a foreign body and only able to return to my home dimension by killing myself, and thus returning to a war in another land that I had a duty to fight. I didn't want to die, per se, but felt that it was necessary. To ascribe my motives for suicide to "cowardice" would be to make a generalization which did not apply.

My last suicide attempt, I took a bottle full of sleeping pills and went out in -20 F weather to die by hypothermia. I have always been afraid of attempting to die and failing, which has precluded many potential methods; I do not see my facing that fear and attempting to end my life anyway as an act of cowardice. In that last attempt, I lost nine fingers due to frostbite. I know the potential consequences of a failed attempt are real. I do not know whether I would ever consider another attempt, both because I no longer suffer those delusions, but also because I know intimately the cost of failure. I do not think that any such attempt would be reasonably described as cowardice.

At the same time, being deprived of hope, for whatever reason, emboldens one in ways of which those not so affected may not understand. So in some sense, the circumstances may make the act, if not 'easy', at least in some sense, 'easier'.

[dyresand]

i dont want to say its either but.. fuck it requires a level of balls i just don't have or any person would have for that matter.
to end your existence is that you end it.. don't get me wrong i mean at times i thought about it and i just see no reason to. I mean.. i don't want to say i haven't tried
i have id rather not talk about it. But it's better to let your own body kill itself on its own through the process of growing older hey i mean i would miss out on a lot of things i wouldn't want that in the end.

[Seraphina]

It's something I've talked with our dear violet before. She's of the opinion that cowards do it but I disagreed with her because for me I think it takes a hell lot of courage to do it. Though some people think it's a act of cowardice and they all have different reasoning. 
What's your take? And why?

I think you're barking up the wrong tree with the courage vs. cowardice question. Someone who is deeply depressed and isn't thinking straight to begin with likely has neither.
I think one's level of impulsivity is a more relevant question on "what it takes" to commit suicide.

-Teresa

N.B. If you're reading this thread and contemplating suicide, this is a link for crisis lines worldwide...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_su...isis_lines

[The Grand Nudger]

At the same time, being deprived of hope, for whatever reason, emboldens one in ways of which those not so affected may not understand.  

-That's why you clear a building from the top down, rather than the bottom up.  They'll run for a door....they'll go HAM if you push towards the roof.

[Jackalope]

I'm addressing this solely from the mental illness angle.

Meh, I don't know what it takes. I couldn't pull the trigger when push came to shove, I know that much. Personally, whatever I locked in that regard, I think it takes a lot of courage to face whatever the blackness is that has led to suicidal behavior and put the hard work in needed to recover.

[The Industrial Atheist]

As others have said, it isn't a matter of courage or cowardice.

The last time I think I was depressed I was constantly thinking "Okay, this is the state of my life, which I hate. These are the things I must do change that. I'm not capable of doing these things, I'd rather not be around for things to stay the same, whether I try or don't try." But I never got to the point where I was ready to kill myself or even hurt myself.
I thought about things like how painful the methods available would be, or my likelihood of failing and then going through life with another disability. Not to mention failing would also result in my being hospitalized again, and I can't stand being hospitalized, at least in a behavioral ward. Or that if I succeeded what would happen with my family and there are people in my family who honestly maybe wouldn't be able to cope. Maybe if there had been some supernatural being that would erase all the memories of everyone who cared about me and kill me painlessly.... that might've been a tempting offer.

What it would have taken for me to try to do it would be much more severe depression or substance abuse to forget about the consequences , not courage or cowardice.