09/13/2024
“I’d kill myself if that happened to me”, “I think I’ll go jump off a bridge”, making a gun with your finger and putting it to your skull, making a noose and jokingly wrapping it around your neck...su***de jokes have become so normalized, which is just disgusting to me that people don’t realize it belittles the experience of others who have dealt with su***de; people who are depressed or are having suicidal thoughts work so hard to get out of that negative pattern that it’s just mean to destroy all their work by turning it in to a joke.
Su***de is the 10th leading cause of death, there’s an estimated 1,400,000 attempts made each year.
When considering making a su***de joke, you should observe your surroundings: Who is listening, and how might they be impacted today by mental illness, suicidal thoughts, or the loss of someone to su***de? Do your words negatively impact the su***de stigma? How could you rephrase your sentence and your actions?
Think before you speak and consider the damage your jokes will do. WE have the power to change the world and change society’s view on mental health. We have to stand up for the cause, because not everybody can. 💜💙
