Suicide Prohibition: The Shame of Medicine by
Thomas Stephen Szasz
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
Reviewed in 03/17/2012
I want to start this review asking a question. It’s an unusual question and some people may not feel comfortable with, but just go with it.
The question is:
“Have you ever thought about suicide?”
Think really hard, don’t answer right away. Have you ever watched a movie about suicide and imagined how it would feel to do it? Have ever wondered how it would feel to hold the decision of your own life and death in your hands? To end your life jumping off a building or taking a bunch of pills?
If you have, even for a second entertained your mind with it, then you are a sinner and doing something illegal.
Wow, wow,, that’s not me speaking It’s the truth. If you ever say to “head doctor” that you had any suicidal thoughts this is pretty much what will happen to you:
Dr. – So, how was your day?
You – Oh, don’t get me started on that circus of hell.
Dr. – Oh, please, tell me. You are in a safe place and I’m here to help.
You – Work was crazy. This bitch was so bitchy I wanted to kill her.
Dr. – Oh, *scribble,scribble*
You – And my boss, oh, he was so unaware and such a pig. He almost had me bend over just to see my boobs.
Dr. – Oh, *scribble,scrible*.
You – I was so glad when I finally got home, but then my husband was so angry and he hit me extra hard.
Dr. – That’s why you have a black eye. I was wondering about that. *scribble, scribble*
You – Oh, Doctor, sometimes I think it would be better just to end it all and kill myself already. *sigh*
Dr. – What do you mean? You think about *quivering chin* suicide?
You – Well, yeah, I guess, sometimes.
Dr. – Wow, no need to shout. Calm down, calm down.
You – What?
Dr. – Oh, my gosh. You are feeling disoriented, that’s normal in your condition.
You – Condition? *frown*
Dr. – I will help you. There’s this institution,,
You – Institution?
In this minute the dear old Doc presses a big red button and the whole hell breaks loose. The doors open and nurses come running and trap you in straps jackets while the Doc is screaming “CODE 5!” and running around the room shaking his arms over his head.
You are now considered to have a disease and will be treated like a crazy person that cannot think for itself. Crazy stuff, right?
This book really makes me think about what is considered crazy and how all this psychiatric stuff really works. The brain, the mind is something like a mystery to me. Faith is another thing I can’t really rap my mind around it. I like to think about stuff and speculate, ask questions, imagine a thousand different scenarios of the same subject.
I guess that’s why I like biology, philosophy, literature and stuff. They force you to think and open your mind to things out of your comfort zone.
Sometimes, thinking about something means just that. Just because you think about starting a diet doesn’t mean you’re going to do it, right?
Bottom of line is, I like this book and this author a lot. I even went on and did a research on him.
Here is his site if you want to know more about him and his work: www.szasz.com
And here are some really cool quotes of this crazy guy:
“If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia..”
"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget."
“Suicide is a fundamental human right. This does not mean that it is morally desirable. It only means that society does not have the moral right to interfere”
“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily...”
*An ARC was kindly provided by the publisher. But this in no way influenced my views on this book. This is my honest review.*
This reading is part of the following reading challenges:
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