Death by Suffocation

The worst part of suffocation is remaining conscious. The awareness that you can't get the air you need and the ensuing panic and powerlessness are terrifying.
The point—which is not merely to be morbid for a change of pace—is that suffocation can take many forms. A needy relationship can be suffocating. A job going nowhere can be suffocating. And the consciousness... the awareness that the life is being sucked right out of you can be worse than the controlling relationship or the boring work.
The advantage, if you can call it that, is also the consciousness. That you can see it happening. Maybe see it happening in time to do something about it. Suffocation always ends in death. It is imperative that we do something about it.