technically that was committing suicide..he damned his own soul to hell, fully aware of what would happen with no intention to stop it...like asking someone to kill you..if it's your choice then you can call it suicide..bottom line is that dean can't go through life without sam..
but selling your soul it`s much worse than suicide, he sold his soul to the ones that he hate the most..
1)suicide = he`ll go to hell
2)sell his soul to demons = he`ll go to hell
so 2nd is better at least you saved one`s life, especially when it`s about your only brother

^ Lucy is totall right!

technically.

It's debatable, but I don't think so. Way I see it, with suicide the goal is to kill yourself. Dean's goal wasn't to kill himself, it was to save someone, and the getting killed part was an undesirable side-effect. Hence, it was self-sacrifice as opposed to suicide.

Yes I agree it was self-sacrifice, he just wanted to save his baby brother, if I had to do something like that to save my baby brother I would! (I love you baby bro) :)

what!?? NO! don't have any good comment! :D

I also agree that it was self-sacrifice
Dean's goal wasn't to end his own life, it was to save Sam in anyway possible

But not really.....!^^ i agree with hplotr91 he brought Sam back from the dead with this deal - nothing like that comes from suicide.

i dont think it was suicide,more of a sacrafice.

It was more self-sacrifice, like taking a bullet for someone.