# Who HASN'T contemplated suicide? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 19, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079 "2003-02-19T05:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/1 "2003-02-19T05:16:16Z")
I was under the impression that suicidal thoughts eventually enter everyone’s mind at one time or another. Is there anyone here who has never contemplated suicide? ---
**Author:** ![Nocktober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de053/32.png) [@Nocktober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocktober)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/2 "2003-02-19T05:18:00Z")
Colin Powell? ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/3 "2003-02-19T05:26:12Z")
I can honestly say I never have, and I never will. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/4 "2003-02-19T06:56:23Z")
I haven’t either. I _have_ had “they’ll be sorry when I’m dead!” type thoughts, but they were more along the lines of walking outside and getting hit by a bus. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/5 "2003-02-19T06:57:50Z")
I can’t say I’ve actively contemplated doing it in the short term, but I am able to take solace in the fact that it is always an option, if whatever pain got so bad, be it mental or physical. I love my life, but have been very, very low at times, and I know that I could feel lower. Sometimes the pain of life is overwhelming, though right now I can’t imagine the circumstance in which I’d want to kill myself… hrh ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/6 "2003-02-19T07:07:18Z")
Not I. ---
**Author:** ![The\_MacDairmuid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_MacDairmuid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_MacDairmuid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/7 "2003-02-19T07:43:17Z")
I’ve been through some low times in my life, but never to the point that I’d considered killing myself as an alternative. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/8 "2003-02-19T08:11:01Z")
I just wish the people that had done it shared the attitude of those of you above! ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/9 "2003-02-19T08:18:19Z")
I’ve thought about it in an abstract sense… how people can consider it, what would drive someone to it, that sort of thing. But contemplating it for myself, as a viable option? Nope, never. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/10 "2003-02-19T08:45:27Z")
Never seriously contemplated suicide. It always seemed to me the ultimate selfish and shortsighted behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Theom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@Theom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theom)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/11 "2003-02-19T12:13:59Z")
As somebody who has attempted suicide, my first attempt was not pre planned it was really a spur of the moment thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/12 "2003-02-19T12:14:32Z")
Yep - Never even fantasized about it. When I was young and feeling resentful towards whoever, I had the typical “they’ll be sorry when I’m dead”-type fantasies. But they were always of the dieing from a tragic disease or as a result of some heroic action sort, not suicide. I can’t even easily conceive of committing suicide - It’s pretty alien to my normal thought processes. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/13 "2003-02-19T12:18:48Z")
Never has entered my mind either. No matter how bad things are it is better then being dead to me. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/14 "2003-02-19T12:55:47Z")
Never had a serious thought about it. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/15 "2003-02-19T13:12:04Z")
Well, I’ve thought about it, but not for the reasons most would probably attribute to suicidal people. I entertained the thought because at the time I was intensly curious as to what lay beyond the “final sleep”. It was a few years ago, and I wasn’t depressed at all-I had plenty to live for and plenty of stuff going on in my life. The thought of finding out soon and not waiting those long years kept flickering in my mind. Hurting those close to me weighed heavily on my mind, and I decided that I’d get the chance to see soon enough (“soon” being relative, I’m currently shooting for 80+ more years). Still though, I’d say I was _fascinated_, but not suicidal. At the time I knew the damage it would do and I didn’t think I could selfishly do such a thing _just because I was curious_. Aside from that, I also realized that I needed to have children. Lots of children to ensure that my genes would eventually rule the world with a cold iron fist… Uh-oh…I said too much… ---
**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/16 "2003-02-19T14:22:33Z")
i started struggling with suicidal thoughts when i was about 10-12 years old… sometimes i know that if i’d known a painless way to do it, i probably would have. As i’ve become older, the suicidal thoughts are much fewer and much futher between. In fact, I’m at the stage where i do believe i’ve conquered depession and I hope to never be in that place again, I haven’t been depressed for three years now - I consider that a great achievment. Suicidal thoughts are NOT normal…passing throughts are ok, but any serious dwelling on the thought of killing yourself and you need to find help. Different things help different people - and what works for one may not work for another - sometimes it takes a long time to overcome the issues that lead to you thinking that way in the first place. It is definately not something everyone has thought about one time or another - most people never do (not seriously anyway) ---
**Author:** ![UnwrittenNocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6de8d8/32.png) [@UnwrittenNocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwrittenNocturne)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/17 "2003-02-19T14:33:57Z")
I’m bipolar. I have not only contemplated but on one occasion made a serious attempt at suicide. And died - very briefly. I think that for most people an understanding of the sheer depths of depression that force this can be difficult. Sometimes it is all a little much ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/18 "2003-02-19T15:59:10Z")
But not everyone has what it takes to get along in this world. What if you realize early that you don’t? ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/19 "2003-02-19T16:07:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*But not everyone has what it takes to get along in this world. What if you realize early that you don’t? \*\* IMO, everyone is given the tools to get along in this world. Whether or not they have the proper guidance, the will to use them, or the support needed is another question. Their are many factors that are involved in suicide/depression and it may seem that I’m sweeping them all together when I say that I think suicide is not the only option for anyone. I like to think that there is a big assortment of non-deadly options that could be chosen, but then again I could be just a look-at-the-bright-side type of person. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079/20 "2003-02-19T16:09:41Z")
I’ve never seriously considered suicide. At my most depressed, I’ve wished that all of my problems could just go away, but actually killing myself has never seemed like a viable option. Never even in the same ballpark as a viable option. Like most of you, I’ve known several people who have attempted/committed suicide. The pain associated with either act is too great for me to even consider hurting my parents like that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-hasnt-contemplated-suicide/156079.md?page=2)