Overcoming Fear

[deathisapanacea]

Lot of people including me spend much time on SaSu fantasizing about exotic methods like N or Gun. We go to the extent of talking about enrolling in a vet school so that we will eventually have access to euthanasia drugs . Instead of doing this, I guess we should spend disproportionate amount time on learning how to overcome fear. Just a momentary suspension of fear is what is needed. Once we crack that problem, every single suicide aspirant here will have access to at least one credible and easy access method(jump, rope, train, electrocution etc), regardless of where you live. IMO we need more discussions and insights on that line.

 

[ifihadnever]

I agree. I am frustrated and confused at how I haven't been able to end my life when I do feel it is the best for me. When I went to attempt (recently) I had what could only be described as the biggest melt down, the panic and fear was horrendous(and unexpectedto such a degree). I didn't understand where it was coming from. But it was all fear based. I do have awful anxiety so even simple tasks are riddled with fear so I guess it's understandable but my fear response was so strong (and unexpected). Its very much caught me off guard and quite emotionally wounded. It's not death I fear (to my awareness). I actually fear living. So why can't I die? A question I am currently trying to work out. But I am aware it is very much embedded in a very deep fear response (for me anyway). Highly frustrating!

 

[Whale_bones]

There's different specific things that people fear; some fear death and what does or doesn't come after (and I struggle with that somewhat myself), but my more pressing fear is of the dying process. I've already been through too much severe physical pain for one lifetime, so I need my death to be relatively calm and pain-free. Of course, a truly peaceful and painless death is inaccessible for most of us, and I don't expect that, but nor do I want it to be horrendous.

There's a fair amount of discussion on this site about survival instinct. That term originally meant the unconscious, animal instinct to survive, which results in things like ripping the noose off your neck, or desperately gasping for air when you're drowning. But it's used more broadly now, to talk about the conscious feelings and thoughts people have about death.

A human brain is designed to make us keep surviving at all costs, it doesn't care about quality of life even a little bit. So even if you've thoroughly and carefully examined your life and reasons for wanting to die, and you're certain it's the right thing for you, I think most people will still have that underlying drive for survival.

As for how to get past it... I think that's different for everyone. This thread about understanding SI is a great one, it helps explain some of the scientific and biological factors.