Whether in the news or through conversation it bothers me when someone tells me this person committed suicide. Committed being the offensive word. There is a negative connotation for the word committed. Committed is used for crimes. Such as, he committed murder or she committed arson. Committed is used for criminals. A person who takes their life shouldn’t be labeled a criminal because they aren’t one. Do they hurt others by suicide yes but those gone shouldn’t be further stigmatized. They ‘died’ by suicide. Know the difference.
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15 comments
It’s a matter of perspective I guess.
I don’t see it that way I just think committed is the nice word used to describe the situation that the person actually deid from it. They committed to the act of suicide.
Blah I dont know ?
I agree
The word committed dosent anythin to do wit bein a crimnal it jus means u commited to an Pacific act
Doesn’t bother me.
Committed can be used in a positive or neutral way, as well. Such as committed to his family or committed an act of kindness. The definition of suicide is the same whether preceded by “committed” or “died by”.
I was always puzzled by the phrase “completed suicide”. The word suicide does mean it was completed, so to add the work completed on to it would be repetitive.
Semantics.
*word
Vistor is jus tryin to confuse us
Potato potato.
That’s bugged me too.
Usually the word “committed” refers to a crime.
So it has a negative connotation.
Saying a person “commits” suicide implies that they committed a crime, and that wording bothers me too.
So much stigma.
I like your suggestion better: They “died of” suicide.
I guess I feel the meaning of the word suicide overrides the impotance of the preceding term:
I committed the act of killing myself, as opposed to I died by the act of killing myself.
I guess it does make it sound criminal to some, although I wish involuntary commitment came with the same legal rights and protections as being arrested does (and that people were made more aware of the rights they actually do have).
No matter how it’s labeled or what wording is used – medical or criminal or social – people are going to use it against us. 🙁
*importance
I suppose it all leads back to how someone perceives suicide. If you’re against it then it might not bother you with using committed however if you’re more supportive of suicide you don’t perceive it as wrong or a crime. Interesting perspectives guys.
In Dutch suicide is called committing self-murder so that’s nice 🙁
That is literally awful. ?
Ha, yes, literally.