Buddhism And Suicide

[autonomous_unit]

...in light of the supposition that most if not all suicides are

committed by people trying to escape problems they

feel they cannot face or overcome. This seems to me

an exceedingly rational act. So how can they be viewed

as mentally ill ??

This may be off topic but I have more developed ideas about mental illness and suicide than about Buddhism!

I would say your position is based on a false dichotomy where mentally ill equals irrational. There are a wide range of mental illnesses with different predominant traits. And of course in trying to briefly summarize so much, I risk distortion as well.

In the context of traditionally held "mood" disorders such as depression and mania, most people would view a person as rational but just not filled with normal motivations and emotional balance. But most lay people view schizophrenics as irrational, while I would say they can be quite rational while lacking a normal set of ground facts or beliefs from which to reason. Whether this lack of grounding manifests as delusions or full-on hallucinations, it leads sufferers to pursue trains of thought that result in very odd behavior. It is quite illuminating, though not comforting, to be able to discuss motives with a schizophrenic who is having an episode yet is calm and trusting enough to try to communicate!

So I would say that your hypothetical suicidal person is applying logic as a rational person might, but the flaw is in the base facts from which they infer death as a viable solution rather than in the rules they apply to get from fact to decision. Some people might say that it is irrational to hold beliefs such as "my problems are insurmountable" and "my death is not a (bigger) problem".

I think people do not like to think about these issues at length because they lead to uncomfortable places: maybe all criminals are in some sense ill. Is illness just deviation from a norm? How much deviation? Where do you draw the line (if you can)? What is an appropriate (moral, ethical, and/or practical) reaction for society to take to these deviations? Does illness excuse any behavior or even suggest an alternate response?

[drummer]

...

It is quite illuminating, though not comforting, to be able to discuss motives with a schizophrenic who is having an episode yet is calm and trusting enough to try to communicate!

...

I think people do not like to think about these issues at length because they lead to uncomfortable places: maybe all criminals are in some sense ill. Is illness just deviation from a norm? How much deviation? Where do you draw the line (if you can)? What is an appropriate (moral, ethical, and/or practical) reaction for society to take to these deviations? Does illness excuse any behavior or even suggest an alternate response?

A very well stated post. I fully agree with your explanation.

I will never forget a friend of mine, and managing schitzophrenic, told mold me during one of his episodes "Yeah, the bugbears are really bad today." As you said, it was illuminating. At least he knew he had a problem, and that the bugbears weren't real. Even then it was tough for him.

The issues you bring up are very interesting. A statistical analysis of prison populations will yeild a very high portion of mentally ill. Would these people have commited crimes if they were mentally stable? Just by virtue of the numbers, you can confidentally say "No'

But there is a much broader problem than just criminal behaviour. Aside from the clear cut cases, there are a great many people who are not thinking clearly (not meant to sound deragotory) Some cannot hold down jobs because they buck under any sort of authority. These people do not get treated, they get welfare. Welfare is a good program, but it doesn't really fix the problem with these particular people.

Do we medicate them? with what? how much? how are they diagnosed? We just don't know! Our current tinking does not help, although we are on a learning curve.

Personally, I can envision a program, (set in the future wehn we know more), where there is a kind of Alcoholics Anonymous routine. I rather suspect that many mental illnesses behave in similar ways, physically, to addictions. I think that when we know more, we will be able to make a system with medications to help in the short term, and meditation to help in the long term.

It would not work in every case, but believe it would in my friend Peter's case.

Personally, I don't think there is any excuse for behavior per se. I do think that you can address the root cause of the behavior, though. I'm all for a solution that involves helping people, not punishing them.

I must admit, though - my moral compass is not clear on this one. At this point I am just applying principles.