Suicide button

Imagine for a moment if you will that there is a flush-mounted button on the top of your head.  Pressing it would mean instant death, but only you can press it – nobody else can terminate you.  It would be nice and clean, no lingering pain and suffering, the lights would just go out.  You could choose the moment of your demise.

b82192ed4f22cbca7f670ddd9e1bbf291228219078_full

Except you couldn’t bring yourself to press it.  You might run your fingers through your hair over the button and feel a tingle of excitement as you brushed against it, maybe even allow a lazy finger to slide around the rim, but never would you press it.  That would be taboo.  Flirt with the danger, enjoy the risk, but never allow your finger to plunge into the depths, even in a mad fit of pique.

suicide-demotivational-poster-1248341433

Why?  To most people the prospect is unthinkable, but unless you have a terminal illness and want to die with dignity then staying alive is the ultimate instinct.  If you were in a life-or-death situation, your body would fight to live. If you were drowning you would struggle for breath until the last possible moment.  If you were unconscious, your body would fight for life on your behalf, quite apart from the efforts of the emergency services to resuscitate you.

join_the_fight_against_lgbt_suicide_button-r70f400623e1948cf88320df5785c5651_x7j17_8byvr_512

So imagine those people for whom pressing the button is not only conceivable but a distinct possibility, something to be saved up for one particular day when they feel it is right to do so.  Not just people with depression and other mental illnesses, though they would form a sizeable subset.  Plenty more people for whom this is a rational solution.

And if there was such a button, those who are put off solely by the fact that it can be difficult and painful to kill yourself, the true numbers of people who felt like that would become fully evident.  Many more than you might suspect.

One thought on “Suicide button”

  1. Well written. Oh wouldnt that be a lovely idea a button on your head. But would you be born with it or have to have it inserted? May be a gas would be eaiser. Like barbeque fumes?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Blogs, reviews, novels & stories