I am worried about my friend possibly killing herself. She denies having a plan and she says that she would never do it, but she talks about suicide and frequently has moments where she thinks about it. She's in a very bad time in her life where she can't pay her bills and nobody to support her financially, has a 12 month lease which will ruin her credit if she doesn't pay it, about to be forced to live with her parents who she doesn't like that much, has a cat to take care of, and lots of c.c. debt and has recently lost her professional license. She's lonely and truly hates her life right now and I don't blame her. Who am I to insist that suicide would be so terrible?
I'll call the police on her if I have to and drive her to the hospital, but the situation is hers and it's her life that only she can live...
timelady2008-11-14T09:30:00Z
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Its your duty to call the police and have them pay her a visit if you think she is seriously close to committing suicide. She doesn't have to go with them, but it might spur her to accept the help she needs. Most suicides have a history of leaving clues prior that nobody paid any attention to.
Legally no. Ethically it depends but usually no. An ethical reason for suicide might be a terminal illness with extraordinary pain and suffering. In that case the persons right to end their suffering would outweigh societies objection. Debt isn't a good reason so as to your friends right, no, they don't have the right because they will inflict pain on others without a justifiable reason. Debt, while a terrible thing is not an insurmountable obstacle in life. In a week, a month, a year even your friends life could change for the better. It is almost certain too if it is that bad now. Ending their life for such a reason is selfish and cruel to those who care for them. Death comes to everyone sooner or later so rushing it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Well, there are thousands out there just like her. They are not committing suicide.
She is in a bad place of her own making - it doesn't have to be life ending, instead she simply needs to make some life altering changes.
Learn from her mistakes and move on. Bad credit don't last forever - death does.
She needs to learn to manage her money better, cut back on her spending and NEVER get another credit card.
There is a thing called credit counseling. They help you to pay off your debt and keep collectors off your back so long as you adhere to the payment program.
Living with your parents is supposed to suck - it's that way so you move out. LOL.
She needs to know there are a lot of options out there besides ending it all.
Your friend needs your support more now than ever. I would certainly call the police and/or your state department of social services. If you are concerned that she might be considering suicide, there are also suicide prevention hotlines. The would be happy to give you better advice than you might find here. Also, btw, suicide IS illegal except in OR and WA and only then is it legal when the person is terminally ill with less than 6 months to live. I don't think that is the situation here.
It is a crime to commit, attempt to commit or aid in suicide. You need to tell your friend that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. All the problems you listed didn't happen overnight and won't be cured overnight but they can be fixed. Have her talk to a mental health professional, she needs to get her head on straight and quit doing some of the things she did to get where she is. The first thing I would do is burn all her credit cards, her biggest problems probably stem from money. She needs to get with a credit counseling service, get a reputable one and check them out with the BBB. There is a lot of phonies out there that will just make her problems worse, not better.