It occurs to me that with the my body my choice movement women are praised for choosing to end another life, but it doesnt seem to have any carry over when someone chooses to end their own life. you have to consider the physical and or emotional pain someone deals with on a daily basis. we as a species are hoarders including the people around us. i have suffered with being bipolar my entire life, and a significant amount of physical abuse in my formative years just to be cast out by my parents at 14. when i slit my wrist in Florida following a breakdown. the police had the bright idea of beating me senseless and repeatedly macing me to "save my life". i think if it ends someones pain then is their decision alone.

No. And for anyone to say that it is just shows they don't really know about it. Anyone who judges people who are depressed or mentally ill - that they are LAZY, SELFISH, or should JUST TRY HARDER is sadly mistaken. I did not start healing when ANYONE treated me like that. It's hard enough when you feel bad. It's TWICE AS HARD when people are telling you that you're JUST DOING SOMETHING WRONG. People who have never been depressed or suicidal should feel so lucky and grateful that they've never been in that place.

The word cowardly itself suggests a judgment and condemnation. No one can know what is in another's heart or mind. I am not here to judge others, for choosing suicide or anything else.

If i was facing a death sentence, lifelong pain, or escalating physical disabilities, i can't know what i would decide. I work with such people daily, am amazed at their bravery, and also believe that if challenged as they are, that i would make the decision best for me. Whatever that might be.

Everyone will die. You can leave it to chance or you can take control of it.

I think it depends on the reason, let's say you live in pain from an illness I think it's fine. If you have committed a brutal crime that is unjustifiable and do it because you rather die than spend the rest of your life in a cell than yes that's a bit cowardly.

false, a desperate move maybe

It’s not cowardly, but then again, courage isn’t a factor in suicide attempts. Courage is when someone overcomes the fear of losing something. Depressed people don’t add their own life to that equation.

False

Well, there are pros and cons to everything I guess. I was raised in Oregon and a few years ago doctor assisted suicide was passed there for terminally ill people. If someone truly wishes to stop living with pain and it is 100% sure they are going to die slowly then who am I to judge how they go. I would rather go on my terms standing on my feet then letting cancer decide when to take me. Just my opinion... As for the mental health issue, Sure if someone can be talked out of it or treated then that is a save, but I am sure that there are people out there that just want to no longer live but are sane and not depressed. Again though, who am I to judge?

I have another question;

If we go with a religious view on this then, why is it acceptable to execute people in the name of justice by state law but illegal to take your own life? Not all states outlaw suicide, but they will put you in the funny farm to try and find out what's wrong in your head. Killing is killing... yes? By your own hand or someone else's. Please don't misunderstand my statement here, I think if you go out and murder, rape, pillage then it's "off with your head!" as far as I'm concerned. But, to put someone in jail for wanting to take their own life seems like a double standard to me. The state says "You must be punished for your crimes" yet what crime am I committing by hurting myself. Who am I hurting by attempting my own life? Is it a victimless crime if I am the victim? If I feel that I am not a victim they who's to say otherwise. My life, my decision. Cowardice, perhaps, but maybe some out there really don't want to deal with this messed up world we live in now. /shrug

A coward does not do suicide !

False.

No....

I think it is a rather courageous act.

Sometimes its the bravest thing you can do

False

For me I don't have the insight to come to a true or false answer. I'm on the outside looking in.

so absolutely false.

My father was dying of prostate cancer that had spread to his skeleton. Bone cancer is extremely painful -- in many cases doctors just have to sedate the patient into unconsciousness until they die, often moaning in pain. He was 76 years old. He decided to choose the timing of the end himself, however in 1996 it was difficult to find a guaranteed way to kill himself that would not involve someone else -- often someone who was involuntarily involved. He did a lot of research and discovered that refusing food and water is a relatively painless way to die. Within a few days, hunger and thirst subside and as long as pain is controlled, nurses rated it as a 'good' way to die. This took him 21 days of choosing every morning to continue on this path. I do not see this as the act of a coward. I was impressed with his determination.
As to the family's suffering, he was going to die anyway. He was not creating any new suffering that wouldn't have occurred anyway. I hope that if I find myself in a similar situation I can follow in his footsteps. I will have the option, however, of using a more humane techique.

I don't know how you can judge another on an issue like this. Sometimes the darkness wins. If you have never been depressed, help someone who is. Reach out to those you love. We live in difficult times. Be kind.

True, but since I can not study and get on their mindframe I can not in honesty know if is not "cowardice" and instead is "madness". I am in for the whole human experience and if that include suffering a painful illness well, god damned that is what being human is. Diagnosed with depression over 25 years ago. Never treated properly, I am still here not complaining of my bad life experience. Everybody I ever met show signs of depression but I am not licensed to prescribe you. Today I got a VA appt... another opportunity to decline wonder pills, happy pills, stay awake pills, sleeping pills, vaccinations, etc. When I am "depress" I go dancing.

Suicide is cowardly not brave but one might think of it as the very last move in a person who has been depressed for years or overwhelmed by the symptoms with suicide the born out all depression brings... it’s an isolated, lone , helpless guilt filled state where one might seem on the edge of insanity

More deaths from suicide than from war, murder and terrorist combined in the world.

Most cases of suicide are because they can't find anyone that love them. Old and enfants die when they are not loved.

I believe in enthanasia when pain or horrible life conditions are too great wroth living for.
Life is challenging, you must love yourself first and find love and on top your healthy.
Then you can be considered a coward.

I used to think cowards not anymore in most cases the person is not mentally capable of decideing what's right from wrong so sad.

Just what is cowardly about taking ones own life? I have heard this before & do not understand the logic. One cannot walk in anothers shoes in this regard. How is it cowardly to choose death over unrelenting pain?

Suicide is just an action. You need to understand the motives of the individual before you can make any characterization. It's not a true or false proposition.