Age Differences

[ThatIsTheQuestion]

Solely out of curiosity and the usual drive for discussion. How do you guys feel about the age differences here? I'm old enough to have more chronic disabilities than I could count on two hands, three feet, and an abacus, but it seems many people are younger and dealing strictly with mental suffering.

Again and to be clear, this isn't an argument against anyone being here. Even if I wanted to step in and intervene, I doubt I'd get far. But i do want to know how people feel about falling into one age group or the other - young, crotchety or somewhere in between. If I'm being dead (ha!) honest, I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of helping young people ctb. Obviously I'm here anyway.

Thoughts?

 

[HGL91]

Since we all have different life circumstances, mindsets and values, I think age doesn't make a difference in the desire to suicide.

I'm 27, but have had romantic relationships that are 2 to 4 years long four times, and none have worked out. I have tried many jobs and did college and none of it has been something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I also have no desire to be a mother nor would I be a good one.

I have had depression since age 11, suicide ideation started in teen years, and by 23 I was actively suicidal.

Some people are just ready to leave the world earlier than others.

 

[Soul]

It would be against the rules to help anyone of any age to kill themselves. All I do is discuss theories, or what I personally intend to do. And I try to practice compassion.

I don't feel like being crowded into the "old" end of the forum, but it shows anyway. Oh well! Sometimes being able to speak about what comes after one's late 20s adds perspective. I hope that can be valuable sometimes.

 

[andy69]

I think if I were thirty or forty, I would still have a chance to make something of myself. But its too late at 49 to have a career or meet someone. I hate being told that age is just number. Well, guess what. Age discrimination is real.

 

[calendulo]

Easy answer. You are totally right. I share your point of view about young people.
I am still surprise to see many young people without any form physical issues, just a depression or something like that.

When you are reading a post is very difficult distinguish between a person who needs help or just talking because he or she fells lonely and a guy is so high only is seeing pink elephants.

 

[pole]

i dont really think age matters, its about what they feel inside. I mean someone could be in their teenage years, let say like 18, and have gone through as much or maybe even more than someone 10-20 years older than them and vice versa. If they wanna be helped, so be it. if a relatively older person needs the assistance of a younger person, im sure theyd help that older person out and vice versa.

Im 19, so idk, i just think the whole age barrier shouldnt be as emphasized and focused on as it is.

 

[FF777]

I hope this doesn't turn in to a "my suffering has more validity than your suffering" thread..

Here is my opinion on it though:
I think every one should have full autonomy over their own lives, and if they want to ctb over some thing that seems small and trival to some one else, then so be it, it is still their right..
And different people have different standards for their lives.. Some people are homeless and crippled in a wheelchair, but will still decide to keep trying to live, and that is their prerogative.. But just because they choose to continue trying to struggle through their painful life doesn't necessarily grant them permission to be arbiter over other people's lives and sufferings..

There are people on the other side of the spectrum that don't have any thing wrong with them physically, but maybe they are just bored with life and don't find enjoyment in any thing that they do any longer.. Should any one be the judge over whether or not they should be allowed to ctb or not?.. Their life, their choice..

Not every one is going to endure the same level of pain that some one else chooses to before they decide enough is enough.. People have different standards and draw the line at different places.. There are a myriad of different factors that come in to play when leading up to some one making the decision to ctb.. And we can't necessarily know how much any one person is suffering.. You might read about their story and think that they can't be suffering all that much, but maybe they really are.. Or maybe they just don't value their own life all that much and are willing to lose their life over some thing that other people would deem as trivial, but like I said, at the end of the day, I believe it should be their decision when it comes down to it..

EDIT: in my own case, I am 37 and I feel like I've been though a lot of shit in my life, but also I have tinnitus and hyperacusis, neither of which have cures.. I have been through ridiculous depression from those afflictions, and I just feel tired of living.. I was a very happy person before I got tinnitus, and then my whole life has been hell ever since.. That was about 8 years ago.. If I've never been able to be happy again in the 8 years since I acquired tinnitus, I can surmise that I will never be truly happy again.. I plan to ctb before too long I hope.. Maybe next month.. We'll see..

 

[Conflicted Cat]

I don't like putting people into groups here. Nor age gatekeeping. That goes on quite a lot here. We're all suffering here, age doesn't matter.

Every time someone young is CTB, I see something like, "oH, yOuR'e So YoUnG! i WiSh I cOuLd StOp YoU, yOu HaVe YoUr WhOlE lIfE aHeAd Of YoU! yOu ShOuLd ReCoNsIdEr." People come to this site to ESCAPE that. It's like they think just because someone's young, all of their problems and feelings are not valid. And it's not a competition btw.

 

[SinisterKid]

Age is but a number. I have exchanged views here with people I could have sworn were close to my own age who I later find out are anything but [read the age thread]. It proves beyond doubt that their age has jack shit to do with anything for me. Of course its shameful that so many young people find that the only way to end their suffering is to ctb. It shows that as a society, we have got it horribly wrong. But its also shameful that old people who have just had enough of living, for whatever reason, are not allowed to exit on their own terms. Again, as a society, we have got it horribly wrong.

So no, age in this place never did matter and never will to me.

 

[Soulless_Angel]

a 17 yr old could go through something that a 40 yr old could go through, the experience is the same, the only difference would be life experience and how you react and or deal with it, BUT some 17 yr olds can be more mature then a 40 yr old it all depends on upbringing and mindset
I refuse to live by a number, have not done my birthday in years and often have to sit and think when asked how old I am.
17 or 40 or 70, who gives a shit, we all are born, we are all in this world, how we deal with it is unique and individual to us and us alone no one else, share your time ,share you stories, but never bring a pointless number into it.

 

[TheGoodGuy]

25 years old here and have been suffering from physical problems that got especially bad 5 years ago, my 82 year old grandpa has better health than me (I am not kidding)

And on top of my physical problems I also have mental ones but if I just had a normal functioning body I would be able to cope with many things in life that my body doesn´t allow me to.

 

[Morphinekiss]

Depression has no age limit. Physical illness has no age limit. Even more, who is to say the mental suffering of someone is not on par with or greater than the physical suffering one may go through.

 

[Fragile]

i'm in my mid 20's and my body decided to have the physical condition of an 80 year old.

but i can definitely see why even younger people with perfectly fine bodies want to kill themselves, before being chronically ill i was also suicidal and dealing with terrible mental health issues, i know that most of those people can recover by changing their lifestyle or being in the lucky 20% of people that respond well to psychiatric medication, but the decision to kill oneself is entirely their choice to make.