Psycho-Babble Psychology Thread 996482

Shown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Suicide by surgery?

Posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 17:06:16

Sorry if the subject matter upsets anyone. If the topic is difficult for you, please don't read the rest of this message.

I was wondering if anyone heard of anything like "suicide by surgery".

I don't mean someone with a terminal illness who does not expect to survive the surgery but wants it anyway.

I mean someone who is not seriously ill and voluntarily gets elective surgery of low-medium risk. Before the surgery, he engages in behavior that he knows will increase the risk considerably.

Why do this? "He" has various reasons, including not having the means to do some things, and being too cowardly to do the other things. It would be suicide by anesthesia, in a very controlled setting.

There are a few posts on this topic here and there on the internet at large. Most of those don't deal with deliberate efforts to make low-risk surgery fail, by a person who's moderately healthy to begin with.

Anyone heard of this type of self-destruction?

Reggie BoStar

 

Re: Suicide by surgery?

Posted by Dinah on September 11, 2011, at 20:27:57

In reply to Suicide by surgery?, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 17:06:16

No.

It sounds dreadfully unfair to the doctors.

Suicide causes enough pain on its own. Why involve innocent bystanders?

 

Re: Suicide by surgery?

Posted by Raisinb on September 11, 2011, at 20:33:11

In reply to Re: Suicide by surgery?, posted by Dinah on September 11, 2011, at 20:27:57

I haven't heard of it. I'm not a doctor, but it doesn't sound like it has a high chance of succeeding. There are multiple medical professionals monitoring every vital sign during a surgery.

 

Re: Suicide by surgery? » Dinah

Posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 20:50:32

In reply to Re: Suicide by surgery?, posted by Dinah on September 11, 2011, at 20:27:57

Not necessarily. Doctors are very stoic about these things. Also, the hospital will conduct a routine review of the surgery. If they did nothing to cause it, the review will clear them and they can be content that it was one of those things that was beyond their control.

 

Re: Suicide by surgery? » Raisinb

Posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 20:51:54

In reply to Re: Suicide by surgery?, posted by Raisinb on September 11, 2011, at 20:33:11

You're probably right. The more I think about it now that I've posted it and read a few responses, the more hair-brained it seems.

 

Re: Suicide by surgery?

Posted by Dinah on September 11, 2011, at 21:03:00

In reply to Re: Suicide by surgery? » Dinah, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 20:50:32

It would be reassuring to believe that. I suspect some doctors really are distressed when they lose a patient they shouldn't have lost during routine surgery.

 

Re: Suicide by surgery?

Posted by jane d on September 12, 2011, at 0:24:35

In reply to Suicide by surgery?, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 17:06:16

It sounds incredibly risky. Dying isn't the only bad outcome in surgery by any means. And some of the others could be worse.

 

Re: Suicide by surgery? » Reggie BoStar

Posted by Phillipa on September 12, 2011, at 11:02:45

In reply to Suicide by surgery?, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 17:06:16

Reggie it's a loaded topic to me. I guess I shouldn't even reply as I can think of too many ways it could be done. Phillipa

 

Re: Suicide by surgery?

Posted by Raisinb on September 12, 2011, at 11:19:24

In reply to Re: Suicide by surgery? » Raisinb, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 20:51:54

I don't know if this is hypothetical or if it pertains to you, but get help if you are suicidal. I was suicidal recently, for a pretty long period of time, but I got some good treatment and I think things are looking up. Help is out there; it truly is.

 

Moot now, surgery complete. » Reggie BoStar

Posted by Reggie BoStar on September 12, 2011, at 12:45:22

In reply to Suicide by surgery?, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 11, 2011, at 17:06:16

IT's a moot topic now, because the surgery was this morning and it went without a hitch - for the doctors, that is. I'm still here, but as of now, this is an academic topic.

Sorry again if I upset anyone.

 

Re: Suicide by surgery? » Raisinb

Posted by Reggie BoStar on September 12, 2011, at 12:52:42

In reply to Re: Suicide by surgery?, posted by Raisinb on September 12, 2011, at 11:19:24

Thanks for the concern, RaisinB.

But..

"Been there, done that" as the saying goes. I've been in and out of "help" starting when I was 10. At 45 the help became continuous and included 7 rounds of ECT. I'm 61 now.

You could say that I "grew up" with Prozac, the later generation SSRIs and SNRIs, and the new Tryptan migraine-abort medications.

I agree that "help" is out there. "Help" that actually works, however, is another matter. For me, it has yet to materialize.

 

Re: Moot now, surgery complete. » Reggie BoStar

Posted by Dinah on September 13, 2011, at 1:34:28

In reply to Moot now, surgery complete. » Reggie BoStar, posted by Reggie BoStar on September 12, 2011, at 12:45:22

I'm glad your surgery went well.

But truly sorry that you are facing such pain.


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