Cognitive dissonance at work

[booplesnoot34]

I'm conflicted. Personally, I support the right to bodily autonomy, including the choice to CTB. But at work, I find myself having to prevent suicide attempts. I work with disabled people, and honestly, death would be merciful for some of them. But part of me feels like I have to prevent their suicides. Is it because of societal brainwashing? Is it because I'm worried about legal liability for letting it happen to a client? Idk. It's frustrating. I feel bad but also feel obligated. I don't know if these can reconcile. What would you do, especially if legal liability is in play?

 

[noalarms]

Most CTB attempts will result in failure and horrific injury unless the attempter has done a lot of research, so you are most likely just preventing your clients from suffering even more.

If I were you I would not take the risk of helping someone. It's almost impossible to CTB from a cell.

 

[Yuri Yurovich]

Seconding that advice--don't fuck with legal liability, especially where people under your care are concerned. Yes, we have a right to bodily autonomy (whether or not a given legal regime recognizes suicide as falling under that right), but we also have professional responsibilities.

At the same time, I share the cognitive dissonance: I know I would try to stop or discourage someone from suicide (depending on circumstances), yet might eventually go that way myself and wouldn't appreciate the interference (at least not until much afterward, as sometimes happens).

Ideally, I would like those who are earnestly trying to prevent suicide to work on the root causes, rather than just step in at the last moment. If we are not going address how we live together, suicide is inevitable and rational.