Suicide has become very common in the recent past to such an extent that many people do not see it as any big deal. It can be interpreted as the act of taking one’s own life when they think that life is not worth living due to the circumstances that they find themselves in. when a person is suicidal, he or she thinks that there is no life after the present and this paralyzes the thought of living tomorrow. Many a time, a suicidal person despairs and is thrown into a world of hopelessness judging by their present. The pain that comes with such thoughts therefore becomes the driving force behind taking life. Suicide is therefore an action that is prompted by the thought of never getting out of a bad situation to a good outcome.
Viktor Frankl, in his book Man's Search for Meaning seeks to delve into the bitter truths that surround the topic of suicide. In the concentration camps, his own family of father, mother wife and brother died. He was even under constant threat of being put into the gas chambers and face is death as inflicted by the Nazis. In his book, he explains of how a person could lose every inch of feeling when faced with death. But the bottom line of it all is that even in the worst of circumstances, even when life has no meaning and that suicide is the only option left, one needs to have a ray of optimism and think of a better life in the worst of circumstances. One therefore afforded the freedom to choose their circumstances and make the best and not the worst out of them.
In the concentration camps where he was, Frankl describes how death was looming. Everyone else could harbor thoughts of suicide just because of the hopelessness of the situation they found themselves in (Frankl 36). At first all of them in the camp did not fear death at all because the camp saved them the torment of committing suicide. Suicide is therefore something that they had become accustomed to such an extent that the prisoners now hoped for some sort of freedom that all of them anticipated for. It therefore goes without saying that it was not as easy as it seems for one to just wake up and decide once and for all that they were ready to die because they were optimistic that they could live beyond the concentration camps.
The misery of our times is the main reason as to why his book has been received well in this generation, at least according to Frankl. Many people today find suicide the only option as per indicators of the very many who do it. This is so because many people have lost meaning in life. They go through situations and circumstances that make them feel like nothing good will ever come their way. Much of the time, the problems they go through condemn them to think of the worst about life which is not normally the case. It is true that challenges are there but failing to see the end of a challenge a life without the challenge can make one think of not wanting to go on. Some of the problems include among others diseases, loss of employment, and loss of a loved one and many more.
According to Frankl and his theory of logotherapy mental health is good for an individual. This is achievable y bridging the gap between what instincts dictate to be good as well as what is considered traditionally right and the urge for self gratification which is sought in things like money, sex and even entertainment. Too much freedom to do what one desires may therefore lead to one being entangled in very many issues that may lead to lack of self satisfaction. Today, many people seek to fill the vacuums in their lives by substituting what is mentally right with what the body desires. As such, a conflict is developed and this may lead to one wanting to satisfy one and not the other. This in many cases leads to depression as well as anxiety therefore leading to suicide incidents.
Life challenges are the main reasons why many people today lose the energy and strength to go on thus committing suicide. Such a situation can best be described as depression. When it is not treated in time, the end result is always suicide. Depression starts with a little stress that is left unattended. This grows gradually until it reaches a point of no return whereby an individual is not able to handle problems adequately. Gain, depression is not just naturally caused by stress but some people are just predisposed to it. They may not undergo the negativities that are associated with stress but they end up depressed and therefore contemplate suicide. So the causes of suicide that are attributed to depression bay be inborn because they did not exhibit attributed of being stressed or they were stressed.
Suicide is just but a permanent solution to a temporary problem that one faces. But many people fail to see this these days. Many suicide cases never reconcile their emotions with the realities of matters affecting them. They fail to think beyond the problem in an effort to give life another perspective that they have not considered before. Problems and issues have always been there since time immemorial and only if they could see this, then suicide could not be trending the levels it is right now. Failing to discover the purpose of one’s life in itself will lead to suicide, so the solution rests on an individual. Many who contemplate suicide choose to keep to themselves and not share their problems with people around them. This kind of alienation deprives them of the joy of sharing because apparently, it is believed that a problem once shared is a problem half solved.
According to Frankl, life has meaning, what lacks meaning is the lack of fulfillment of a person’s potential. This is objective because given time and space, the potentials can be fulfilled because that does not mean that there is nothing else one can do. Just like he advised the doctor who was not happy with his life, one can make an about turn and work towards getting that which makes him or her happy. But until one realizes this, nothing good will be realized thereby leading to stress, depression and thereafter suicide. Fulfilling one’s potential can make a permanent mark in the life of a person which will in return get rid of suicidal feelings. According to him, acting responsibly and being in charge of one’s life solves the problem.
Work Cited
Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press2006
