We Shouldn't Glamourise Suicide NOR should we demonise the suicidal

Yes, the aim should be to STOP people taking their own lives, but let's not be ignorant and pretend that people don't build up suicidal thoughts for days, weeks, months and even years before they choose to take their own lives. Sometimes it's spontaneous; sometimes it's successful. Other times, it's due to a long period of intense mental distress and depression, and, thankfully, not all suicide attempts are successful (I say 'thankfully' for the MOST part, but, alas, there are some 'unsuccessful suicide attempts' in which the survivor sadly comes out badly, either physically, or because society has cruelly judged them; we can't do much about the former, but we CAN stop demonising attempted suicide survivors!)

This is why we should always seek to deglamourise the *act* of suicide, *without* making the *suicidal* feel worse about their thoughts (or, in some instances, unsuccessful actions). Condemning people for *feeling* suicidal may, in fact, likely will, make them feel even worse about themselves, and, ironically, push them to actually commit the act (i.e. "If I'm a terrible person no matter what I do or think, what's the point of living?")

A sanctiomonious, cold-hearted, finger-wagging, stiff-upper-lip "You shouldn't have done that" approach, is NOT what depressed and psychologically distressed people need. NO, what they need is to be told and convinced that they have a reason to live, and that they shouldn't keep beating themselves up.