“Better Off?”

I have noticed a relatively common theme among suicidal people is the belief that the people around them – and the world in general – would be “better off” without them. They often express remorse and inner turmoil for the pain they have caused others.

It’s strange – even during my own darkest moments, I never believed anyone would actually be “better off” without me. No better or worse? Absolutely (truthfully, that is where much of my pain derived from – the fact that it didn’t seem to matter whether or not I existed). But not better.

The way I see it, if you recognize the fact that you are causing others pain (or at least believe you are) and it bothers you, you can’t be all that bad of a person. Bad people don’t care about the anguish they inflict on other human beings.

There is something there – some decency, some conscience and perhaps some hope to go along with those things – that can be built upon.

Just a few thoughts.

L4Y

(L4Y@cogeco.ca)