Police negotiate with man threatening to jump from tower block (From Daily Echo)

....and thanks to the echo for reporting this the crowd will no doubt get bigger. Fools

if he was serious he would have used the train to get to where he wants to be

get some blankets ready.

Reality-man wrote:
....and thanks to the echo for reporting this the crowd will no doubt get bigger. Fools

The daily echo is a NEWSPAPER. When I saw all this happening I wondered what it was so turned to my local NEWSPAPER and found the NEWS I was after!

Do these people ever get charged with wasting police time?

Some people may not like this comment, but if you're going to kill yourself get on with it.

Really? This is a human being you are talking about! Obviously troubled, life is precious this person needs help not ridicule.

Reality-man wrote:
....and thanks to the echo for reporting this the crowd will no doubt get bigger. Fools

exactly what I was thinking, well done Echo attract a bigger crowd just what the police and the person needs. Why not wait till after to report it.

Love and compassion are necessities,not luxuries.Without them humanity cannot survive.

taser him.....

Hang on..... sympathy mode.... Gosh, that poor chap must be very ill/drunk/drugged, hope someone can help him....

He's down now, the crowds gone,and police cordon removed,back to normal for now.

He's been arrested and normality has been restored, well as normal as Shirley Towers can get!!

Amuffman wrote:
Do these people ever get charged with wasting police time?

Some people may not like this comment, but if you're going to kill yourself get on with it.

No, he'll be detained under the mental health act, not arrested. Then he would be assessed with a view to being sectioned.

While I grant you that it is a vast waste of resources, no "normal" right minded person would want to or threaten to throw themselves out of a window. He will be treated as a patient not a criminal.

Swissowned wrote:

Amuffman wrote:
Do these people ever get charged with wasting police time?

Some people may not like this comment, but if you're going to kill yourself get on with it.

No, he'll be detained under the mental health act, not arrested. Then he would be assessed with a view to being sectioned.

While I grant you that it is a vast waste of resources, no "normal" right minded person would want to or threaten to throw themselves out of a window. He will be treated as a patient not a criminal.

He can't be detained in his own home, only public place.

What wonderful heart felt, caring comments about a man in crisis from the cretins.

A lot of the comments on here are disgusting, maybe there shouldn't be comments allowed on this story. Unless you know this person and the exact reason that they feel they need to do what they are doing you cannot judge them. Just think if that was a family member of yours reading these comments would make you feel sick.
I just hope you never have to be in that situation yourself.

pushamara wrote:

Reality-man wrote:
....and thanks to the echo for reporting this the crowd will no doubt get bigger. Fools

The daily echo is a NEWSPAPER. When I saw all this happening I wondered what it was so turned to my local NEWSPAPER and found the NEWS I was after!

Well done YOU, If YOU read the majority of comments posted on here maybe YOU can understand why i feel it is silly to post the story whilst the persons life is still in the balance. By all means report the story afterwards. But i wouldn't put it past the same idiots who make such sick comments on here to head to the scene and shout more abuse. Do YOU understand where i am coming from now? ThankYOU

tinkerbell1979 wrote:
A lot of the comments on here are disgusting, maybe there shouldn't be comments allowed on this story. Unless you know this person and the exact reason that they feel they need to do what they are doing you cannot judge them. Just think if that was a family member of yours reading these comments would make you feel sick.
I just hope you never have to be in that situation yourself.

Chill out tinkerbell. For every bleeding heart offering sympathy, there will be someone who finds this to be the selfish act of a narcissist.

Everyone is responsible for their own behavior.

Obviously a cry for help. If he wanted to kill himself he would have just jumped. Hope he gets the help he clearly needs?

We all know that this city is a bit of a dump.

The comments on here firmly confirm that some of the residents are trash.

Let's hope that none of the pathetic individuals above ever have need for empathy from a fellow human being.

It is unusual for the Echo to open up a comment forum on sensitive issues like this one - the train suicide is another one this week. At a guess, I would say they are carrying out a test to see if their forum readership are mature and responsible enough to be able to comment on serious matters like this.

I wonder what they are thinking ?

Thanks to the attitudes of some of the people above, we will probably only be trusted with comments on flower shows, strikes, and football in future.

City Saint wrote:

tinkerbell1979 wrote:
A lot of the comments on here are disgusting, maybe there shouldn't be comments allowed on this story. Unless you know this person and the exact reason that they feel they need to do what they are doing you cannot judge them. Just think if that was a family member of yours reading these comments would make you feel sick.
I just hope you never have to be in that situation yourself.

Chill out tinkerbell. For every bleeding heart offering sympathy, there will be someone who finds this to be the selfish act of a narcissist.

Everyone is responsible for their own behavior.

I think you will find that it's people with low self esteem who would consider suicide rather than a narcissistic one.

yes dont .u get it a cry for help?that means the person needs help.poor person hope he gets helped.he dosent need sectioning just needs help from friends/family

the ones that have a heart on this then welldone.but the ones that think its funny to comment on sad news r pathetic and have no thought for that person or anyone else

Same exact predictable comments. The Echo might as well save everyone the bother and just regurgitate them over and over again on these morons' behalf.

Lynne24 wrote:
Really? This is a human being you are talking about! Obviously troubled, life is precious this person needs help not ridicule.

I can't believe how many people show no compassion.

why do the council put people like that in these places they should get veted before hand be for giving them a flat in a block !!

Georgem wrote:
Same exact predictable comments. The Echo might as well save everyone the bother and just regurgitate them over and over again on these morons' behalf.

The self-righteous conscience of the city.

I would put money on the idiots making the horrible comments being from the likes of Shirley, Thornhill, Millbrook etc.

kerry1980 wrote:
yes dont .u get it a cry for help?that means the person needs help.poor person hope he gets helped.he dosent need sectioning just needs help from friends/family

This is what bothers me. People always say "this isn't a real suicide, it's just a cry for help" as if that was somehow nothing to be concerned about. No, it' s probably not a genuine suicide threat, but he still needs help.

bigal007 wrote:
why do the council put people like that in these places they should get veted before hand be for giving them a flat in a block !!

People like what? People that are susceptible to at some point maybe feeling like jumping out of a window? Yes, there are very reliable tests for determining whether a person might at some point suffer a crisis, or develop depression, or something else that might cause an incident like this. It's perfectly simple, too. If the person is a person, then they run the risk of maybe at some point hitting a low like this.

Now what?

I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

Lynne24 wrote:
Really? This is a human being you are talking about! Obviously troubled, life is precious this person needs help not ridicule.

I agree with you lynne,very sad that he ovbiously needs help and this is the only option he feels is right at that very moment.I hope he gets the help he needs.

Another day, another troubled person tries to end their life.

It is so sad that people on this site don't have an ounce of compassion for their fellow man.

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

I don't think he's made a prat of himself, and I don't think my money has been wasted.

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ?

Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

BillyTheKid wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ?

Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

Its simple its his life and its up to him what he does with it, i have more interest in whether the sun is going to shine tomorrow than whether he jumps or not. As for the polythene it would make it easier to clear up the mess afterwards, i don't pretend to care about somebody i don't even know because that is the done thing, anymore than i would expect a total stranger to care about me.

ohec wrote:

BillyTheKid wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ?

Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

Its simple its his life and its up to him what he does with it, i have more interest in whether the sun is going to shine tomorrow than whether he jumps or not. As for the polythene it would make it easier to clear up the mess afterwards, i don't pretend to care about somebody i don't even know because that is the done thing, anymore than i would expect a total stranger to care about me.

Nobody's asking you to care about him. The common theme here seems to be - as usual - "why should he be costing me money?" You're not being asked to care about him, but you are being asked to contribute a small amount to the cost of someone else caring for him.

Let's just look at that, shall we. The majority of us, as individuals, pay a tiny amount of tax, really, for the public services we receive in return. Seriously. Example: try getting your bins emptied, privately, for anything like what you're actually paying.

Luckily, we have formed society, and we pool some of our resources, to spread the cost of things among us. Those roads you use? You've paid virtually nothing toward them, really, in the grand scheme of things. But you're quite happy to use them, even though others are paying for them. Even people who may not use them as much as you, or at all.

Same thing applies to this guy. Whether you care about him personally or not - you don't, and nor do any of us, really, because we don't know him - he is still entitled to help from our pooled resources, because he pays into those resources. It's quite straightforward, really. You don't get to pick and choose who else in the shared resource pool gets to draw on it, and who doesn't.

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

BillyTheKid wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ?

Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

Its simple its his life and its up to him what he does with it, i have more interest in whether the sun is going to shine tomorrow than whether he jumps or not. As for the polythene it would make it easier to clear up the mess afterwards, i don't pretend to care about somebody i don't even know because that is the done thing, anymore than i would expect a total stranger to care about me.

Nobody's asking you to care about him. The common theme here seems to be - as usual - "why should he be costing me money?" You're not being asked to care about him, but you are being asked to contribute a small amount to the cost of someone else caring for him.

Let's just look at that, shall we. The majority of us, as individuals, pay a tiny amount of tax, really, for the public services we receive in return. Seriously. Example: try getting your bins emptied, privately, for anything like what you're actually paying.

Luckily, we have formed society, and we pool some of our resources, to spread the cost of things among us. Those roads you use? You've paid virtually nothing toward them, really, in the grand scheme of things. But you're quite happy to use them, even though others are paying for them. Even people who may not use them as much as you, or at all.

Same thing applies to this guy. Whether you care about him personally or not - you don't, and nor do any of us, really, because we don't know him - he is still entitled to help from our pooled resources, because he pays into those resources. It's quite straightforward, really. You don't get to pick and choose who else in the shared resource pool gets to draw on it, and who doesn't.

All i am saying is if he wants to jump let him, some people just crave attention if we didn't give them that attention then they would either close the window or jump their choice, the only condition i put on their choice to kill themselves is that they don't involve other people. It takes seconds to open a window and throw yourself out (if you really want to) on the other hand if you want to put on a full scale production then you delay your decent and glory in all the sympathy, and in the mean time those emergency services that you have kept tied up could have been doing something worthwhile. So i my humble opinion he should be prosecuted for wasting police time. There are numerous ways of killing yourself without involving other people or causing any inconvenience to anybody.

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

BillyTheKid wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ?

Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

Its simple its his life and its up to him what he does with it, i have more interest in whether the sun is going to shine tomorrow than whether he jumps or not. As for the polythene it would make it easier to clear up the mess afterwards, i don't pretend to care about somebody i don't even know because that is the done thing, anymore than i would expect a total stranger to care about me.

Nobody's asking you to care about him. The common theme here seems to be - as usual - "why should he be costing me money?" You're not being asked to care about him, but you are being asked to contribute a small amount to the cost of someone else caring for him.

Let's just look at that, shall we. The majority of us, as individuals, pay a tiny amount of tax, really, for the public services we receive in return. Seriously. Example: try getting your bins emptied, privately, for anything like what you're actually paying.

Luckily, we have formed society, and we pool some of our resources, to spread the cost of things among us. Those roads you use? You've paid virtually nothing toward them, really, in the grand scheme of things. But you're quite happy to use them, even though others are paying for them. Even people who may not use them as much as you, or at all.

Same thing applies to this guy. Whether you care about him personally or not - you don't, and nor do any of us, really, because we don't know him - he is still entitled to help from our pooled resources, because he pays into those resources. It's quite straightforward, really. You don't get to pick and choose who else in the shared resource pool gets to draw on it, and who doesn't.

All i am saying is if he wants to jump let him, some people just crave attention if we didn't give them that attention then they would either close the window or jump their choice, the only condition i put on their choice to kill themselves is that they don't involve other people. It takes seconds to open a window and throw yourself out (if you really want to) on the other hand if you want to put on a full scale production then you delay your decent and glory in all the sympathy, and in the mean time those emergency services that you have kept tied up could have been doing something worthwhile. So i my humble opinion he should be prosecuted for wasting police time. There are numerous ways of killing yourself without involving other people or causing any inconvenience to anybody.

How was he wasting police time, again? Did he call the police?

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

BillyTheKid wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote: I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ? Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

Its simple its his life and its up to him what he does with it, i have more interest in whether the sun is going to shine tomorrow than whether he jumps or not. As for the polythene it would make it easier to clear up the mess afterwards, i don't pretend to care about somebody i don't even know because that is the done thing, anymore than i would expect a total stranger to care about me.

Nobody's asking you to care about him. The common theme here seems to be - as usual - "why should he be costing me money?" You're not being asked to care about him, but you are being asked to contribute a small amount to the cost of someone else caring for him. Let's just look at that, shall we. The majority of us, as individuals, pay a tiny amount of tax, really, for the public services we receive in return. Seriously. Example: try getting your bins emptied, privately, for anything like what you're actually paying. Luckily, we have formed society, and we pool some of our resources, to spread the cost of things among us. Those roads you use? You've paid virtually nothing toward them, really, in the grand scheme of things. But you're quite happy to use them, even though others are paying for them. Even people who may not use them as much as you, or at all. Same thing applies to this guy. Whether you care about him personally or not - you don't, and nor do any of us, really, because we don't know him - he is still entitled to help from our pooled resources, because he pays into those resources. It's quite straightforward, really. You don't get to pick and choose who else in the shared resource pool gets to draw on it, and who doesn't.

All i am saying is if he wants to jump let him, some people just crave attention if we didn't give them that attention then they would either close the window or jump their choice, the only condition i put on their choice to kill themselves is that they don't involve other people. It takes seconds to open a window and throw yourself out (if you really want to) on the other hand if you want to put on a full scale production then you delay your decent and glory in all the sympathy, and in the mean time those emergency services that you have kept tied up could have been doing something worthwhile. So i my humble opinion he should be prosecuted for wasting police time. There are numerous ways of killing yourself without involving other people or causing any inconvenience to anybody.

How was he wasting police time, again? Did he call the police?

Ohec makes a valid socioeconomic point. It shows consideration for society to make your suicide onerous only to yourself. Therre are many ways to go about ending your life without costing society anything at all.

But I most like the observation somewhere in this thread that we should all be tolerating each others' opinions on this one, even as we deate them. I have no issue with those of you who prefer to show compassion, even though I disagree.

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

BillyTheKid wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:

Georgem wrote:

ohec wrote:
I think the most disturbing thing about these comments is the complete lack of understanding for an opinion/viewpoint that may differ from your own, everybody is entitled to their own opinion and if that differs from yours so be it, what a dull miserable world it would be if we all thought the same.

You have a point, but I disagree that it's the most disturbing thing.

So what is the most disturbing thing in your opinion.

The disregard for human life.

But its his life to do with as he thinks fit, all real suicides don't do all the dramatics they just do it. What has he achieved nothing just made a prat of himself and cost us a lot of money, perhaps if they just put some polythene on the ground and told him to get on with it we would have less of these amateur dramatics, if he has problems and he thinks its easier to kill himself thats his choice.

Can you really see social services discussing the cost of the bulk purchase of polythene rather than examining negotiation techniques and their effective implimentation ?

Please elaborate further - you owe to the people who have read your post.

Its simple its his life and its up to him what he does with it, i have more interest in whether the sun is going to shine tomorrow than whether he jumps or not. As for the polythene it would make it easier to clear up the mess afterwards, i don't pretend to care about somebody i don't even know because that is the done thing, anymore than i would expect a total stranger to care about me.

Nobody's asking you to care about him. The common theme here seems to be - as usual - "why should he be costing me money?" You're not being asked to care about him, but you are being asked to contribute a small amount to the cost of someone else caring for him.

Let's just look at that, shall we. The majority of us, as individuals, pay a tiny amount of tax, really, for the public services we receive in return. Seriously. Example: try getting your bins emptied, privately, for anything like what you're actually paying.

Luckily, we have formed society, and we pool some of our resources, to spread the cost of things among us. Those roads you use? You've paid virtually nothing toward them, really, in the grand scheme of things. But you're quite happy to use them, even though others are paying for them. Even people who may not use them as much as you, or at all.

Same thing applies to this guy. Whether you care about him personally or not - you don't, and nor do any of us, really, because we don't know him - he is still entitled to help from our pooled resources, because he pays into those resources. It's quite straightforward, really. You don't get to pick and choose who else in the shared resource pool gets to draw on it, and who doesn't.

All i am saying is if he wants to jump let him, some people just crave attention if we didn't give them that attention then they would either close the window or jump their choice, the only condition i put on their choice to kill themselves is that they don't involve other people. It takes seconds to open a window and throw yourself out (if you really want to) on the other hand if you want to put on a full scale production then you delay your decent and glory in all the sympathy, and in the mean time those emergency services that you have kept tied up could have been doing something worthwhile. So i my humble opinion he should be prosecuted for wasting police time. There are numerous ways of killing yourself without involving other people or causing any inconvenience to anybody.

They say criticize the behaviour, not the person. Very difficult here, because the extraordinary thing is the writer's personal, cold indifference to another's suffering.

Of all the sciences, mental health, psychology, and psychiatry are areas the general public seem to know and understand least about. Most people, in the last year, for instance, will have talked with someone about at least one of a number of physical conditions and treatments such as heart problems, triple bypasses, cancer, chemotherapy, blood pressure, acid reflux, injured limbs, arthritis, and so on. But who has been chatting about schizophrenia, manic depression, or obsessional compulsive disorder ? Not many, probably because physical conditions affect considerably more of us than mental issues. People latch on to buzzwords like "schizo" to descibe someone they don't understand, and "paranoid" to descibe someone who won't trust them, but this, of course, is invariably incorrect usage of the terminology.

Back in the Middle Ages, if you had a bad leg, the local blacksmith would chop it off and give you a wooden one. But if you said strange things, they would send for a priest to drive out the demons, or call the Witchfinder General to burn you at the stake !

We fear what we don't understand. As a defence mechanism some of us ridicule it. I have it on first hand authority that some families in West End, during the 20's and 30's, would think nothing of making fun of the "loonies" walking in the grounds of the workhouse there, currently known as Moorgreen Hospital. Another defence mechanism is to show indifference to things we find mysterious.

If the Echo have given us the opportunity to comment on an issue such as this, I would have hoped more people might share some positive thoughts on the subject that we might all gain a better understanding of what circumstances can lead someone to want to take their own life.

You don't get people on a Saints victory thread saying they could not care less about football-just let them play if that's what they want to do, do you ?