Although these cartoon strips are "stand-alone", they do relate to issues that are real. Here I simply tackle the problem of suicide... One of the main reason for it is pain (real or imagined) for those who commit it... Of course for humans there are many dynamics that lead to such... Yet most of us in dire situation prefer a downgrade in life "with a hope of a better future" than death. My personal situation led me to become a robot for a while...

For a death to be considered a suicide, three criteria need to be met:

1.       The death must be due to unnatural causes (i.e. injury, poisoning or suffocation) rather than illness; 

2.       The actions which result in death must be self-inflicted; and 

3.       The person who injures himself or herself must have had the intention to die.

When suicide is suspected, the case is referred to the Coroner for investigation. If the Coroner is not satisfied that all criteria are met, the death may be deemed accidental (if the Coroner thought there was no intention to die), or the cause of death may be recorded as undetermined (if doubts about intent cannot be resolved). Of course, if the Coroner thinks that the death was not self-inflicted, it may be classified as a homicide. Apart from physical and forensic evidence, the Coroner may also use testimony from family and friends to determine the frame of mind and intent of the deceased.

If there is any doubt, it is probable that the verdict of suicide will not be given. This raises the possibility that actual suicide rates may be higher than reflected in the published statistics. It can be particularly difficult to distinguish accidental death from suicide in cases of drug overdose and car accidents.

http://www.responseability.org/site/index.cfm?display=134569