[Villages PL]

It comes as a surprise when someone takes their own life - suicide by asphyxia. It seems drastic and we can't help but think that it might have been prevented with proper treatment for depression.

What I wonder is: How different is it from other slower forms of suicide like diabetes, heart disease and cancer? In other words, we are talking about preventable degenerative diseases that slowly culminate in death brought about by poor lifestyle choices. Degenerative diseases are largely preventable and to ignore common sense healthy-lifestyle-rules amounts to "a slower form of suicide."

Difference: The cause of death stated on the death certificate: I have seen people die as a result of their poor lifestyle choices and the cause of death is usually stated as something other than suicide. That's to be expected of course because that's just the way it is. It's the immediate cause of death that counts, not the poor lifestyle that led up to it. The result: Everyone is off the hook for contributing to it.

Note: Of course, as was said many times before, we all have to die sooner or later of some cause, but isn't there a value judgement that goes along with that statement? That death at one age is more acceptable than death at another age. For example, death at age 80 might more acceptable than death at age 50. Where would you draw the line? Should there be any line drawn at all?

My question: Why is the slower form of suicide so much more acceptable and why are so many people in denial that it is a form of suicide?