Logotherapy and Suicidal Individual

Dr. Ricardo B. de los Santos, PhD

Are you suicidal? If you are, perhaps you have lost the meaning of life. Losing one’s meaning in life may be due to any of the following: a) someone or some group must have defined it for you, b) the meaning you yourself had built had been eroded or proven contrary by the events that happened in your life or c) the definition of your life or the understanding of it had proven futile or inutile. One of these could be the reason why you would like to end your life.

But if someone has given you the reason for the meaning of your life, this significant other could be in error, as a mere human being like you.  He or she must have good intentions for defining life for you in such a way.  Can you not forgive him or her? Perhaps you were too young to believe and now you realize your mistake.  And now that you have matured in your ability to believe, why would you be so premature to end your life now that you have finally matured? That’s incredible!

And what if some fad-laden group had duped you to believe in what life should be for you, must you remain laden with a fanatical zeal and give up your soul for a worthless cause?

And if you felt proud and free to define life as what life was for you in the past and that now you find that things do not happen in accordance with your own definitions and limitations why would you condemn yourself to death?  You were just a mere mortal to design what life meant for you. And now you design to wager your immortality because of your stupid pride.

Or alas, you thought that you have lost your energy to go on living in search of your life’s meaning, what do you mean when you want to end it all?  For many, the search could of course last a lifetime.  But if one is sincere and humble it is very necessary and possible, and therefore ontologically true that God, in His Divine goodness and mercy will reward you for its understanding; the beatific vision, even in the afterlife.  But if you could take your life because of your pride, then why would you deserve it?  It is as if Satan has brought you to the fatal heights and asked you to fling yourself so you would know its meaning.  Satan himself didn’t know it because he had his steep pride and now he needs companions to his misery.

But then, why would you listen to someone so unsophisticated as me, if you are an atheist? You are not in the position to find the meaning of life for you are anti-life.  Why would someone who is already dead still commit suicide? Satan the enemy of Life does not have to tempt you. You have attempted to be like him.

But if you believe there is God who loves you and finds you priceless, I insist that you find the meaning of your life.  It may not be as grand as you think but its humble meaning could make you content and at peace to go on living.

Go ye and multiply and share the blessing of the Word which was already there from the very beginning.

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