Suicide: The Importance of Breaking Down Taboos and Media

Suicide is a multifaceted phenomenon that remains a taboo topic in modern world. Talking about suicide is not only a major challenge for all those dealing with it professionally, but also presents a challenge for public awareness. Suicide should not be presented as something normal, but as a serious problem that needs to be discussed and solutions for its prevention sought. Hence breaking down the taboo of suicide is important in two ways: 1) talking about a taboo topic may bring liberation (from fears or false conceptions), and 2) raising public awareness of the problem i.e. accepting the fact that a certain phenomenon is present in the society. The paper reveals just a few aspects of the mysterious and complex phenomenon of suicide. The first part focuses on the meaning of suicide (suicide conception). The second part elucidates some levels of philosophical, especially ethical considerations of suicide. The third part raises the issue of the influence of the media on suicide and the question of ethical reporting on suicide.