Reasons to Live
Thursday July 24, 2008
I was watching the news last night and caught a quick cameo about a teen in Australia who, seeing a woman drowning, dove into the river and struggled for more than thirty minutes to keep her above water until more help arrived. The teen has been tagged a hero for saving her life. It is believed she was trying to commit suicide.
I really found this story inspirational. Here is a woman who thought she had no reason to live and a perfect stranger fought for her life. For me this is something to hold on to. No matter how dark is seems, your life is important to people who don’t even know you. Important enough to risk their own lives!
This reminded me of this great little web page that was around a number of years ago. It was called something like “101 Reasons Not to Take Your Life.” It’s been gone for a few years now, but I was thinking we could make a nice list right here. What do you hold on to when everything seems pointless? What is a reason for you to fight for your life?
~ Kimberly
Comments
One thing I hold onto and helps me fight is how taking my life would effect the children in my life. It would hurt them terribly and send a message to them that life isn’t worth living.
The only thing that has worked for me is the thought that I would not be here to see my 8-year old daughter grow up, and I nearly gave up on that last lifeline recently.
I made four attempts before she was born, but have had only one real desire to die since that time. I managed to call my pdoc and he admitted me to the psych ward for 2 weeks to recover the feeling that it is worth it to stay alive for her.
I may be a weird duck on this. I think what keeps me going when I’m down is a deep curiosity about how my life will turn out. I think of it rather like a book, a mystery maybe, and I’m happy taking my time enjoying every chapter!
I definitely want to be here to guide my children through those teen years. I also hope to travel back to Italy with them some day, so they can see once again the places they lived while we were stationed there.
I definitely believe that God has a plan for my life (wish I knew what it was sometimes), and I try hard to focus on that thought when I’m feeling depressed.
When I hit the black hole of depression that this beast of Bipolar Disorder brings upon me, it is my belief in God’s unconditional love that makes me think twice.
Also, the knowledge that I would hurt my loved ones so deeply keeps me from acting on my ideations. I would never want to cause them such pain.
My comment is similar to the other comments:
My daughters, the feeling of being a failure, relying on God to help me, and the memory of my late wife who would not want me to hurt myself.
i dont know you tell me…
Knowing how it would destroy my 17 year old son if his mother killed herself. Knowing how it destroyed me when my own mother did.
My two dogs, Sweetness and Blue. The love I have for them is reflected back from their eyes to mine. So, I guess it is love that keeps me going.
My life insurance keeps me going. The insurance doesn’t cover suicide. Therefor, my daughter would be without financial resources to finish college. Once she is successfully independent then I would be free from this concern.
My children and grand children keep me alive.
I lived most of my life as a clueless bipolar (meaning I was too proud to admit I had a problem even though my ex and my children kept telling there was). Now I want to give them the dad and grandfather they deserve. One who is stable, fun and emotionally there when they need me.
This was something I was thinging about last night. I have no children, no significant other. I wouldn’t committ suicide for fear my next life would be even worse. I would not step out in front of a truck but I don’t know if I would step out of the way.
Clinging to logic, when the feeling creeps in I tell myself that it isn’t real, my thought processes are being affected by the disorder, all I gotta do it grit my teeth and ride it out. The catch: the disorder can easily override logic. That’s when the strength of support groups step in. I would never want to disappoint my parents after all they’ve been through. They are a reason to live.
My two dogs, Rachel & Sarah – their love, and the betrayal of leaving them.
There are two reasons I will not take my own life. The first being that I beleive in God and I do not wish to suffer the consequences of his wrath. But if I didn’t believe in God, I might consider doing myself in knowing that their would be no ramifications to my act. The other reason is that I have no desire to hurt my Mom. My father has already passed.
I promised my husband when we got married that as long as we were together, I would honor and respect the promise not to kill myself. If anything happens to him or our marriage, all bets are off. That’s it. That’s the singular thing that keeps me from becoming untethered. Sometimes I resent having promised.
The story about the teen is reminicent of a similar scene in “It’s A Wonderful Life.” I think that people jump in to save other people because they just assume that since they themselves couldn’t imagine wanting to die, everyone else in the world must feel that way, too. So, they act based on that assumption. It never occurs to them that some people don’t actually want to be “saved.”
I don’t want to hurt the people who love me anymore. I have things I want to accomplish now and I’m making a life for myself. I want to enjoy everyday challenges and challenge myself. I’m living my dreams, hopes and desires now. And I want to see how my life turns out!
Sometimes I don’t think there are really good reasons for living and this is when you are really down. The reasons just don’t come to you when you are down. But I know the depression will go away and return. Some situations seem insurmountable and the energy for effort to go on is not there. The reason to live is hard to find at these times. The women found purpose to live for their children, I applaud them.
my kitty and hampsters…my mom and dad…my brother who i only get to see every two years (we’re about due for another rendezvous)…breathtaking sunsets…jones soda cream soda…a hot rose-scented bubble bath…a GOOD scarey movie… PIZZA … stevie wonder … a live mountainous panoramic view… comics … horoscopes (come on – you know they’re fun!) … playing and singing songs for people … swing dancing … laughing so hard your mouth hurts (everybody’s done it) … kids say the darnedest things! (and no, I don’t have any yet) … cheese danishes and caramel lattes … … … hmmm… i know there’s more…
the only thing that keeps me going is to see if nostradamus and the mayans were right about december 21, 2012(curious to see what happens). otherwise my dead end job, money disappearing from all stocks and 401k, girlfriend troubles, no college degree and no money to get one with are a few of the things that keep me going every day.
So did the girl she saved sue her? That’s what would happen here. My only reason for living is I don’t want to hurt those who love me. Not that I don’t hurt them now, I do, but my death would hurt them more. When the time comes, I’ll just disappear.
You all choose to live for other people…? What happens when you have no one else in your life to live for? What do you live for then?
Somehow I have never been suicidal. Even through long and deep depressions I have lived for the future, believing it would be better. (I would consider suicide if I developed Alzheimers or something agonizing and incurable, though.) I have no children or significant other. I live to carve my future for myself.
MY NAME IS KATIE AND IM 16 YEARS OLD I HAVE TRIED TO COMMIT SUICDE A COUPLE OF TIMES I FELT THAT THE FEELING OF WORTHLESSNESS AND HOPELESSNESS WAS TO OVERWELMING FOR ME WHAT HAS HELPED ME SOME IS TO KNO THAT MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WOULD BE DEVISTATED IF SOMETIMG WOULD HAPPEN TO ME REMBER THEIR IS ALLWYAS A REASON TO LIVE
As an atheist, I am unable to use faith as a meaning or purpose to my life which leaves me to wonder what is the point of all of it? Even if I bring meaning to another’s life, in the end nothing will matter because everyone will eventually die. Even if something I do is passed on to the next generation, they too will eventually die and it will continue like this until all humans die. There is no point to working a job when all it does is afford you the opportunity to fill your day with meaningless distractions (i.e., sports, movies, coffee with friends). Most of these distractions aren’t fun and in the end don’t cover up the real problem – why? As such, I believe there isn’t a reason to live though I will continue to do so.
I can easily and wholly identify with you Anthony. That’s completely how i feel. I weave in and out of faith and religion. I can say that things have happened to me that suggest God’s presence, but it is still hard for me at times and i feel just like what you posted.
If the woman was trying to drown herself, it was not a ‘cry for help’. She had borne all of life that she could cope with and she had chosen to bring her endless suffering to an end. A fool rushed in where angels (by their very absence) considered the effort to be inappropriate.
I don’t like life (understatement!), but wife is my anchor to life. I am tied here by the depth of my love and affection for my wife, and for my children.
Occasionally they bring me brief happiness, joy, and more. Sometimes this can last for several minutes afterwards.
Regardless, I resent the strength of my attachment because as a result, I am denying myself the cessation, the absence of life, that I seek.
Death makes everything irrelevant: quiet, escape, love, dislike, money, psychiatrists, agony, peace, need, medication, work, insurance, doctors…
At some time it is an option for a few of us.
“Save but to bare witness to others of my Christ, I would be with him now!”-Paul