Re: Peter Singer & the "Quality of Life" Ethic (was Re: ReplyingtoMarta...)

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Macdonald Stainsby wrote:

> > Has anyone read Marx's thoughts on suicides?
> >
> > Yoshie
>
> It's been awhile, but if I recall it was around the same dynamic as that of
>alienation
> and religion- that it can be used as an escape from the pain inflicted by the
>capitalist
> system.

I don't remember the exact figures, but over 90%
of suicides are by those suffering from clinical
depression. The reason it was incorrectly thought
that Prozac could cause suicide was precisely that
it worked well, and those taking it didn't wait until
it worked better. That is, at the depth of a depression
one can't get up the energy to commit suicide --
that happens when one has partially recovered and
is feeling better, somewhat active, but still remembers
vividly the depths. And some recent research
indicates that it can take much longer than formerly
believed for an SSRI to have its full effect. As
long as six months or in some cases a year.

A friend (bipolar) stepped off a curb in front of
a van to kill herself. But the van made
a left turn and missed her.

Social relations or personal experiences (e.g.,
PTSD) *can* generate depression, and may
account for large numbers of cases. But it
can occur without any particular social cause
too, so socialism will not eliminate all suicides
from depression.

Carrol