Hi people,
While I’m not what can be considered a regular on this site, I visit from time to time and have been for several years now. I don’t always post/respond when I visit, but I do try to help when I can.
I’ve noticed something recently that I see as a good thing. The holidays are naturally one of the busiest times for this site and the difficulty of this time generally shows up in countless postings. It was common for one day of postings to take literally pages and pages.
This year, there are fewer posts than I’ve seen in a long, time and I take this to mean a positive turn in that more people are fighting and trying to go on. For 2 days of postings to be on a single page in this site was unheard of a year or more ago.
Now, by noticing this, I do not want to belittle the posters that we are seeing. It’s not easy to post anywhere in terms of sharing your pain. However, this site is by far, one of the best places to go in terms of honesty, togetherness, and mostly free from religious proselytizing.
I just think the considerable reduction in daily posts is a hopeful sign is all. Keep fighting!
33 comments
Hmmm I have noticed the same thing. Is quite peculiar that a year ago, this time around, SP was quite busy. Now it’s a tad bit quite around here.
Depsite SP being a very hospitable environment, it is better to see less traffic, which ultimately means a lot less people contemplating their end.
Glad I’m not the only one who has seen this. Seriously, one day of posts would go 10 pages or more.
I do worry that this site has somehow been squashed by search engines or pushed too far back in the pages. I think this site is as vital as any prevention hotline available and should be given front page availability if possible. I hope that’s not the case. I hope that people are surviving better without it.
Maybe they’re all dead. Have you thought about that?
Plausible when including the circumstances a lot of people are in, but that’s being rather pessimistic.
But I think OP’s message is written in more of a hopeful and optimistic tone. So lets maintain the mood and just hope that there are people out there who don’t need a place like this to find solace tonight.
Good news. Not the Cosmic Quest comment, but that there’s less postings. I wonder if the suicide hotlines have experienced the same?
@Cosmic Quest:
Well, on a serious note, some of those who have posted here could very well be gone.
But, I think we’re all aware that this doesn’t end once a set amount of people have either healed or ended their lives. People in pain have a way of continuing to appear if you haven’t noticed.
However, if you’re joking here… well, I think you know how funny that isn’t. Very goth though, so you have that going for you, which I respect.
You’d better call the Ghostbusters then.
Man, I’m sorry if I came across badly there. It’s not my place to define your comment one way or the other.
It doesn’t make sense to be suicidal for 51 weeks of the year and then happy during Christmas. Then you get the ones who are happy all year and suicidal at Christmas. Where’s the logic? But I don’t think that’s the reason fewer people post here. It’s something else and I don’t care to find out.
@Randall:
That would be the best way to cement my hopes. I haven’t the slightest idea how to see if that’s the case though.
a year ago i posted because i was super depressed… not really suicidal.. somewhat.. but then i didnt come on this site until last month, because i relapsed.. worst then ever. I dont get suicidal until ive done something so stupid and regret it.. well i crossed the line last month.. now i cant even function properly. anyways.. i always feel a lil better during the summer.. but winter… winter i am always depressed.. cold and miserable.. but its beause i made it that way. sigh.. wish id freeze to death tonight..
@Cosmic Quest:
For a lot of folks, it’s 52 weeks of the year but some of those weeks are the ones that really push the envelope. It’s no coincidence that the holidays are the sweeps week for the depressed as it showcases all of our particular despairs in various ways.
The difference in the amount of postings that I’ve seen doesn’t just fall into the holidays. It was a daily all year difference. I just happen to be on right now and the difference was finally blatantly obvious to me because this is when it’s primetime on SP.
I really am hoping that it’s a positive sign with the possibility that over the year(s), people have done the kind of reading here that I have and seen reasons to keep going, what happens when people don’t, etc. and moved forward.
The crusaders always seem to deduce that there are less suicidal people in that world. I wonder why that is. The decline in popularity might have something to do with this site turning into a pile of crap.
What changed here that would do that though?
I seriously do not know if there were changes or events that I might have missed that would muck up the site, but I know that does happen to forums/sites on a fairly regular basis. Did the site get hit with something? Did a particular event happen?
Essentially the site had three types of customers
1) People searching for and discussing methods
2) Philosopher types who are trying to figure it all out and understand their life in depth
3) People who are just after general chat to pick up girls etc
If you fit in to one of the above there are better sites than this.
That’s interesting. I have only just joined this website two days ago, so I guess I’m part of the counter-movement to this. I didn’t know this website used to be much more active. I found it when I was googling things like “Suicide but fear of death” and saw one of the posts from this site.
I definitely find it awesome here, I don’t understand why people wouldn’t be coming here as much anymore.
Well, I’m not going to deny that I’ve seen each of those types within this site. And other types such as the people just looking for a quick ego boost, people looking to preach, people looking to cause trouble, etc.
But, in the midst of everything, there were a lot of real posts. And I mean a LOT. Were they just all chased away by the others? I guess that’s a possibility as well.
If someone has a genuine story no matter how trivial their issues may seem to others or if a genuine person posts here that’s the main thing. It was different when methods were discussed. I don’t need that but it’s perfectly understandable why a suicidal person might want to be sure about the most important decision in their life. It’s not everyday that one kills themselves. You never used to have 5 forum members jump on a newbie’s back for a passing reference to helium/******** or whatever because it was widely accepted. Now it’s different and it says a lot about people here. I used to find it uniquely comforting to be around people in a similar if not worse situation. Maybe I’m not suicidal anymore but if I was I wouldn’t feel as safe here. The older experienced posters were very warm, knowledgeable and comforting.
I completely agree with you on this and while I also didn’t like seeing those kind of reactions, there’s the very real bottom line of what happens when someone’s child discovers a method on a site that ended their life. In today’s world(as we all know), the media outcry alone would be enough to start a witch hunt strong enough to shut this down in less than a day. It’s a just a micro example of one of the big problems in this world. I’ve watched so many aspects of life that had more liberty, more fun, more creativity, become a stunted shell of what they used to be thanks to the over-reactionary society we live in. That’s actually not a small part of the core of my personal sadness. Editing to add I must sleep now, but will check tomorrow night.
Yeah, I agree that it’s very contentious but the point I’m making is the attitude of forum users. If Admin want’s to enforce the rules that’s up to them. Sometimes people who claim to identify with suicidal issues go on crusades and anything that opposes their mission in life is seen as wrong.
I think I changed, something in me became worse and that’s why my perception is different. I wish I was happy enough or strong enough to be a crusader. I don’t think it’s wrong.
There are a lot of things on the internet that people shouldn’t be looking at or shouldn’t be doing. You can’t control that. They’ll find a way but I’ve always felt that people on this site would rather a suicidal person die in a hole somewhere so they don’t feel responsible. When people die it spoils everyone’s fun.
I see your point with the crusaders as you put them. Couple that with how much people like to impress admins and you’ve got people doing the right things for the wrong reasons and vice versa.
I also don’t disagree with your stance in the site. While I suppose my responses tend toward the crusader side of things, in the aspect that – yes, I want to stop people from ending their lives – I value honesty and directness above cliched comfort words which doesn’t always go over well. And then there’s the many posts where I can’t take the crusading stance because I feel exactly as they do, sometimes word for word, so how can I hypocritically tell someone it’s going to be ok when, I feel the same damn way?
I hope your die-in-a-hole outlook on posters here isn’t accurate on this site at the very least. However, it’s certainly true in RL situations with just about any encounter from people we know, to comment sections on virtually any other site, so why wouldn’t it spread here? I sleep now.
Glad you’re finding this site to be good for you Tim. And glad you were able to find it simply!
This just puzzles me and now it’s not in such a good way because the thought that what this site was could be lost to people concerns me heavily.
Basically depression and suicidal tendencies come and go.. and when they are really feeling it they come on to this site for their certain reasons.. mine was to find methods but more importantly to vent my problems.. also I found this site by trying to find people in siMilar situations and read their stories.. but sooner or later people recover and live a life again and forget all about this site. But it truly helps suicidal people.. mainly the people looking for suicide methods because there is always someone to tell them it’s not a good idea and how they can help themselves to live. But in the end.. this site can only do so much.. we need physical changes.. this site can only stimulate the mind… well unless you met a partner on here haha
Anyway, there’s some good racing on today at Kempton and Leopardstown. I need to prepare for that. Catch you people later. Hopefully, I’ll come back a winner :p
Come on people, you heard the man! Post more stuff!
🙂 Hate to be a downer, but I’m sure the decline in volume of posts on Xmas is more likely to do with how the community changed, and not because are less deppressed at this time. Xmas is definately still a sucky time of year.
Either that, or more successful suicides this year than in years past, so less people to participate. I’m just saying. The site’s demographics have this shrinking factor built into it.
I don’t believe the turnover would have changed so dramatically in just one year. There are so many factors, I’m sure it’s much more complicated.
What about crisis chat? I’m sure a lot of people moved over that way, is the traffic better or worse this xmas?
We’ve had a gradual uptick in users, but it’s been hit and miss for a while.
What exactly does ‘hit and miss’ mean in relation to suicidals? As in.. attempted and failed?
Was that a pun? lol
We have busy days, and days that are really slow. It’s hard to predict. A lot of our regulars vanish for long stretches, then come back months later, but there’s hardly any consistency to it.
Do you know what day it is? It’s which horse can be bothered day. I feel sorry for anyone backing heavily in these conditions.
being new to the site i am unable to judge the up or down nature of the posts. like a lot of folk, i came looking for methods. i stay cause i found so much more. i would like to hope (heeheehee) that have found a way to fight, to keep going, to get past this. when the ecitement of the holidays are over, and things get back to normal, that their will be a gradual increase in posts. for me, depression is like a fever. the intensity of which goes up and down, but really never goes away. i carry a death wish. i wish i didnt, but i do. when in crisis, it goes out of control and nearly cost me my life. other times just a smoldering ember. but always their. i do not understand the mindset of people who come on here and troll, try to hook up (REALLY) or post fake posts. however, i do not try to figure out people anymore. i cannot figure out me, much less anyone else. if my comments can help someone. im glad. you helped me, i would like to think i helped others.depression sucks. i can work with my other”D”s, but depression just plain sucks. its scarey and deadly, and i just dont like it. to all of you who moniter and watch over this site, THAN YOU!! i admire and respect you for the help you provide. to all folks here, new old,real, fake and otherwise, keep trying. sp wont give you meathods, but they will give you HOPE (AAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHH, lol)