While I think this article has some value, I don't agree with parts of it at all. I realize she was a child when this happened, but she says some things that I have to take exception with. For instance this line: "It’s selfish and it’s sickening and it ruins peoples lives." With this line alone, I'd never send this article to anyone. It actually pissed me right off. When someone takes their life, they are not in their right minds. I thought in this day and age we were trying to get rid of the stigma of feeling depressed and suicidal that society puts on those who have these feelings. I understand this woman is trying to say that her dad's suicide made a huge impact on her. How could it not? But to say that? Sorry, I can't buy into it. I think this is a much better article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-hurley/theres-nothing-selfish-about-suicide_b_5672519.html
I agree and have written on SF that suicide is not a selfish act. I told a friend, who has been in the hospital now for almost 5 months with severe depression and 3 attempts, each more severe than the one before, that I thought he was not being selfish. I understand the pain can be so great you just want it to end.
But I believe this woman is honestly expressing her feelings. And in follow up posts, she has admitted to suicidal ideation. She does speak with knowledge of both sides of the argument. She kept herself alive because she knew how her suicide would affect her children. Her pain is so great, she cannot forgive her father and so she unfortunately sees him this way.
There may be better articles out there. I was not expecting to read this response from a survivor when I looked. I was ready, willing and able to kill myself until I read this author. Honestly I picked the first thing that came up in google and just wanted one article to validate my assumption that my kids would adjust and be ok after I was gone. I was never as angry at anyone as I was at her when I read her article. At the time, if I could of, I would have hurt her. I did sent some nasty posts her way. She got between me and what I wanted most - to kill myself. I never in my life wanted anything more than to die during that time and she got in my way. And maybe, I am the only one the article will ever speak to, but there are 2 teenage girls that have a living father today because of this article.
I am on a new path now. I have entered Seminary to gain certificate in Spiritual Formation among other things. My desire to be with God, to come into union with Him, pales in comparison to my desire to kill myself in June on 2016. I wish that my desire now would be as great as my desire to kill myself back then.
I am good now. I have a very healthy mind and have had it for over a year. Clear, proper thinking.
