I want to die. How can I die?

So I was looking at my analytics, and as predicted in the Elephant Journal, my post I want to Die, how can I die, is by far my most popular blog post.

Depression is a terrible thing, and to suffer so much, the easiest way of dealing with that is to end life.  It speaks of great suffering.  I've only had one patient who tried, and he hid it from me.  Others who talk about it, they lose it when they express and problem solve their suffering with me.

I read in a book once that sometimes people don't need rehabilitation, they need habilitation.  I think as I've gone on as a psychotherapist, I've moved more towards existentialism and the creation of meaning.  What is meaningful for you?  People are in a fog.  They don't know what is important to them.

For me, on that journey, the discovery of Buddhism, the Dharma.  This blog is an elaboration of that.  Taking a spiritual journey to explore all the religions and spiritual classics is a wonderful thing.

I Want To Die. How Can I Die?

Just read in Elephant Journal that the best way to increase traffic to a blog is to type in "I want to die". Also, "How can I die?" Here's the link.

Buddhism has infused my life with meaning, helps me cope with adversity and makes me want to help others on their journey, to share the Dharma, the teachings that lead to enlightenment.

Buddhism has some ideas about suffering, but if your spirituality is more appealing, go with that. I think any kind of spirituality can help. It's like when the Dali Lama was asked about Tiger Woods and his sex addiction. First they had to explain to him who Tiger Woods was. Then he said, "I think every religion is against that." Outside of well known illness, in their end stages, I think suicide ideas are a cry for help. It has to be taken seriously.

As a psychotherapist I've had to deal with suicidal ideas. Send them to the hospital and then the hospital bounces them because they deny it because they want to go home. You also need a plan and intent to carry out the plan, so just thinking about it is a sign of depression, but it usually means you're suffering. Just the idea doesn't mean you're going to follow through. Don't follow through.

And remember, when we suffer it seems like it's lasting forever, but life changes, so hang in there. Feelings don't equal truth, in this case. Use adversity as a wake up call and examine your life to operationalize your unhappiness, and then develop a plan to counteract the problems. It's never as bad as you think. Google something else, like suicide hotline.