While I am on the topic there is something else I want to clarify that has also been brought up in this thread.

On the topic of suicide. There is no rule against discussing suicide here. There is a rule against suicidal posts. Posts saying "goodbye I've had enough" or alluding to that.

We are allowed to discuss our thoughts on suicide and even discuss our feelings when we were in a suicidal state some time in the past. This information can be valuable and healing to others. It is not a taboo topic. Suicidal posts are, for two reasons: they are highly triggering to other members here, and more importantly, a person in this state needs to seek professional help immediately. We cannot provide that help here.

It is a very difficult call sometimes and this makes it very difficult for the moderators. But that is the rule here, and posting sarcastically does not help it and doesn't do much for the moderator's feelings either. There were some sarcastic comments in another recent thread, but I don't know if anyone noticed that that thread was neither deleted, edited, or locked. The thread discussed suicide fairly emotionally but the topic wasn't about someone who was immediately suicidal at the time, they were recovering from a past experience and were expressing it emotionally.

Two points about that, one brought up in this thread, the other in that other thread. "If you can't talk about suicide here than who are you supposed to talk to?" The answer is A PROFESSIONAL. Call a hotline, call an ER, call a doctor, call a friend. The lure of posting here is that it is impersonal and therefore it is an isolating action which is just what someone DOESN'T need if they are suicidal.

In that other thread it was mentioned that sometimes someone is on the border of being suicidal, and discussing it here may just be the thing they need to tip them back to reality and safety. The friendship and community here might be all they need to help them. That is very true. But it is just as true that the opposite could occur. Someone could come here looking for that simple comfort, looking for that safe escape, and if that doesn't work they may feel like that is "proof" that they are meant to end their lives. That would be devistating for everyone involved, including the members of this community. While it may be helpful in some circumstances, it might also be hurtful in other circumstances... that's why we have the rule in place and that is where it stands. We don't have the luxury of deciding on a case by case basis, and that is why the rule is in place... to encourage people to contact someone who is TRAINED to decide on a case by case basis what that individual needs.

The sarcasm about this rule really hurts sometimes. As I said, we are members here as well, trying to uphold the rules as best we can for the good of the community. We don't deserve to get hurt as members here either. If you aren't sure whether something violates the suicide rule, ask the mods. If you yourself are unsure as to whether something you want to post violates the rule, then it is probably an indication that you should stop wondering and call a doctor instead. If it is not an emotional post and not about immediate suicidal danger, then it is probably OK to talk about.

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--http://www.idexter.com