I’m going to shimmy out on a flimsy unfashionable limb and state that I don’t believe suicide is necessarily a selfish act.
Think objectively for a moment.
Sure, some people have overcome depression, but we are not them. Even if we think we’ve been in the exact same situation, there is no accurate method of measuring this.
Fact- Depression is a spectrum disorder meaning people suffer in varying degrees. Some mildly and occasionally and others to the point of hospitalization where they’re completely dysfunctional.
I call it a bazillion shades of grey.
To speculate that your particular shade of grey is exactly the same hue as someone who unfortunately ended their life- is to make a huge assumption.
Depression does not look or feel the same to any two people.
It’s likely that the person who willfully choses to end their life has in fact reached an entirely different higher level of despair and/or was simply not equipped with adequate coping mechanisms.
There is no precise measure for inner turmoil.
There are however, many documented accounts from people who have come close to this point and went on record to universally declare that they saw no other way to end their intense suffering.
Their pain was that unbearable.
There are probably very few people who can actually identify with that particular level of complete disparity.
It’s safe to speculate that it’s entirely possible that any given suicide victim may have already ‘reached out’, trialed a variety of medications, and/or undergone consistent intense treatment, all while being supported by a loving family.
Every single incident is different. The variables can never be exactly the same.
What made a difference for the young woman suffering in silvery-slate grey may not necessarily put a dent in the symptoms of the older gentlemen afflicted by dark-charcoal grey.
Not every ailment is curable.
Absorb that.
Respect that.
Learn to recognize that many situations in life undoubtedly occur on a very wide spectrum in which there are variables present in a bazillion shades of grey.
***To claim to possess precise knowledge that can be effected and therefore changed by infinite variables… is to be recklessly ignorant.***
Extreme Mom 
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I stumbled upon your blog via twitter and this was the first post I read. I found it touching and I wanted to thank you. Oddly enough I wrote a similar post on August 14th as well, in regards to my brother. He lost his life long battle with depression at the end of June. Raising awareness to how serious a disease depression can be and changing the attitude people have towards it and suicide is something that is very important to me.
Thank you for helping to raise awareness, not judgement.
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