Thank You Owen Jones - A Refreshing Perspective on Railway Suicides
As people who follow me will know, I feel particularly strongly about respecting the victims of suicide. Unfortunately many people do not, viewing deceased victims as selfish creatures with no concern for anybody but themselves. I was delighted when I read this article by Owen Jones, calling for a change in attitudes towards those who take their lives on British railways.
His train was stopped due to a suicide and although many people seemed saddened by the tragedy, somebody else tutted and others used Twitter to 'to assail the "selfishness" of the poor individual who had just ended their life.'
Whilst I would never deny that suicide can have a profound negative impact on those around, from the devastating grief experienced by loved ones to the trauma caused to witnesses, I firmly believe that suicide itself is not inherently a selfish act.
Human beings are biologically programmed to fight to stay alive. If somebody is ill enough to want to end their life despite the strong survival instinct, then it is very unlikely that he or she would be capable of thinking through the wider implications of their actions. Indeed, depression makes sufferers believe that people would be better off without you (regardless of the truth of the matter). Therefore, it is a sad fact that many suicidal people genuinely believe they are doing the world a favour when they end their life.
The Independent's Patrick Cockburn, whose son Henry is schizophrenic, describes mentally ill people as society's 'weakest and most voiceless members.'
I have presented an example of the suicidal mind in my short story The Selfish Act. I have decided to give away the story for free this week, because we do have a voice, and that needs to be heard. Although everybody's experience of mental illness is different, other sufferers have written to me to say that this story resonated with their own experiences.
Please download a free copy for your Kindle, tablet, laptop or phone.
For those who prefer printed books, The Selfish Act is also available as part of my Seesaw collection which is available in both Kindle and paperback format.
Because The Selfish Act is a short story, it only explores suicide from the point of view of the sufferer herself. It is not my intention to trivialise the suffering of those around her - it's just that they're not the focus of this particular piece.
Later in his article, Owen Jones explores the prevalence of suicide in the UK, especially in light of the recent depression, and calls for suicide to be de-stigmatised.
In 2008, the Government founded the Time To Change campaign. Now politicians like Ed Miliband are recognising the importance of mental health awareness. Attitudes are changing slowly, but they are changing.
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