How not to commit suicide

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. – Nietzsche

I used to be suicidal, when I was a kid. Home life was hell. School life was hell. I lived in the middle of nowhere with no friends around, so my entire life was encompassed by home and school. I thought about it a lot, tried to figure out a way to do it that was guaranteed. I didn’t want to just injure myself. I didn’t want to end up a vegetable or dependent on my family for the rest of my life. I couldn’t figure out a way. So I lived. In time, home life became better. I changed schools. I made friends who didn’t betray me. Life improved.

My “why” to live went from not wanting to only injure myself to getting out of grade school so that at least half of my life would get better. I have a lot more “why”s to live now. I love my life. I believe I can make a positive difference in this world. I love to create, and I really don’t know if I’ll be able to on the other side of death. I have the “why” to live now, ones that are positive and energizing.

If you’re suicidal or depressed or just can’t bear to live like you do any longer and yet you don’t know how to change your circumstances, you need a “why” to live. Not just exist, but to live. Existing and living are two different things, though it’s difficult to live without existing. Though some people do “live on” though the changes they made in the world.

Some people live “for others”. Their “why” is to serve those others or some cause. This can be a good start, but it’s rarely a good end. The best “why” I can think of is because you want to. Next best, because the world is a better place with you in it. Those are two of the best “why” reasons to live that I know. If you have other really good ones, feel free to comment.

If you don’t have a “why”, then get one. Start contributing to something. Volunteer, pick garbage off the street, say prayers for people. Give to someone else. Or create something that you refuse to leave unfinished. A masterpiece of some sort. If you have to, tell yourself that you can kill yourself later, but only after you finish this. Buy yourself a little time.

So many people kill themselves because they believe they have nothing to live for. Give yourself something to live for. Even a small something. It probably won’t be your destiny, your purpose in life, or even something that you’ll still want to be doing in five years. That’s okay. It’s a start. It’ll keep you living until you can work through what’s wrong and get to the other side of the problem – the side where even if it isn’t fixed, at least it’s resolved.

Give yourself a why to live, if you don’t have one right now. And if the one you have isn’t working, get a new one. You deserve to live.