I wonder if those anti suicide campaigns have actually saved anyone? They sure as hell have never inspired me to want to keep living
I have often wondered that myself. The one time I was desperate enough to actually try calling Lifeline I ended up more miserable than before.
From my no-doubt twisted perspective, these campaigns are probably aimed at people who could be considered 'impulsive suicides', most likely people who otherwise have been what society would consider mentally stable, but for whatever reason, perhaps a major negative life event, are driven downhill rapidly and are on the verge of making the choice to attempt to die in a very short amount of time. Those who exist in a state of long-term suicidality are not, in my opinion, the target of these campaigns. The problem then arises where people like us who have wanted an escape for a long time are forced to endure a system that aims to discourage these 'impulsive suicides', but has no way to handle people with a lifetime of death wishes.
If I wanted to get really cynical, I could suggest that there's an incentive for society to exclusively target its anti-suicide marketing to people who otherwise would be considered otherwise productive. I'll try to keep my tin foil hat off for now, though.
