Suicide: Acceptance or aversion

The past week has been a difficult one for many Filipinos as we collectively mourn the loss of a young woman who ended her life resulting from mental health issues.

- CITO BELTRAN

But even in such tragedy, we can find inspiration in the declaration of faith by her family that God is in control and believing that good will come from the deep loss and pain they now experience.

Yes, inspiration and a reminder that even from deepest pain can come some of the greatest good. The young lady’s “final act” of celebrating life was to give life through the process of organ donation, believing that others can live on “with her.”

For ages, society has demonized people who commit suicide. We have yet to truly view suicide as a disease, an act triggered by deep emotions or experiences not common to all or related to the “spiritual” realm.

We casually accept breast cancer or leukemia, saying it has become treatable. What makes cancer “acceptable” and suicide not? Perhaps attitudes will change the way we stopped hitting left-handed kids or tying their left hand behind their back in order to make them right-handed.

Isn’t it bizarre that the most developed countries have “suicide watch” for despondent criminals but not for severely depressed mental health patients?

While the US takes note of former servicemen who commit suicide due to PTSD, our AFP does not even acknowledge or publicly share the increasing number of suicide cases among uniformed personnel.