"I wonder if it hurts to die."

Quite some time has elapsed since I was diagnosed with depression and due to my constant need to learn, I have scoured the internet for different information on depression. Many different websites and pamphlets and books and such listed suicidal tendencies as a sign or symptom of depression, but close to none define suicidal thoughts as above.

And that's not because we live in an inquisitive society. Of course, it's customary to consider questions about death, as I am sure we all have had. However, certain questions cross the line from normal to alarming. One who isn't worried about dying soon wouldn't worry about pain throughout the process. We are natural procrastinators and would rather not deal with a problem we have established would not happen for a while. However, if someone is asking about the physical pain of death, that means that they may be in the process of accepting their own demise. They may have already gotten to that point. They are eliminating all of the fear associated with death, which not only includes mental fear because of the unknown variables, but also the physical fear of getting hurt. We all fear pain. Even self-harmers fear pain.

Of course, when a non-terminally ill person comes to terms with their own death, that means they would not try to halt their demise. While they may not actively attempt suicide, perhaps they wouldn't move out of the way if a car came barreling down the road at them. Conceivably they would place themselves at risk more often because they've lost sight of the consequences of death. For all one knows they altogether stop caring. Or maybe they are driven to suicide. But any of these cases are important because they reveal unhappiness and because they can exacerbate the situation. They can cause deaths.

At any rate, these signs shouldn't be ignored because they don't fit the romanticized, idealized picture of suicide that society perpetuates. Many of these suffering people don't even know when they've given up hope on their own life, because these are seen as "normal" and "safe" thoughts. But they're not, and we need to stop dealing in extremes and accept and treat these people before it becomes worse. Depression is difficult, but if we can get to the root of these problems and thoughts, we can preserve lives.