Why We Should Rethink How We Talk About Suicide

Suicide is often seen as a public health problem, but some think this view misses the deeper meaning behind it. Philosophers like Michel Foucault have talked about a thing called ‘biopower’, which is the idea that governments and societies control our bodies and minds. When we talk about suicide as just a health issue, we’re ignoring the cultural and personal reasons why people might do it. Suicide can be seen as a way for people to express their agency, or their ability to make choices, under tough emotional conditions. These conditions are often caused by a long history of violence in society. Primo Levi and Judith Butler have written about this, saying that suicide can be a response to the hurtful things that happen to us. The way we currently talk about suicide might be hiding these important parts of the story. Instead of just seeing it as a health issue, we should think about it as a radical act that shows the problems with how our society works. It’s a way for people to stand up against the power of the state over our bodies and minds.