This week has been Suicide Prevention Week, so I figure I'll write about it as I see it as a very important and overlooked topic. Well, I don't even think overlooked is the correct term. Too many people see the subject as a joke. A literal, “let's all laugh and spread the hilarity” joke. It's sick, really. Beyond sick.
No, I have never dealt with depression or suicidal thoughts, though I know plenty of people who have dealt with at least one of the two. I know how serious of a disease it is. But that's what too many people refuse to believe, that it's a disease. I know it can be difficult to understand, but people need to try harder to understand. The reason I'm writing this today is because I've seen two of the most beautiful girls who have struggled with depression get attacked for defending their opinions against a photo that was edited to say “Depression? Kill ur [sic] self.” All they said was that it was offensive and ignorant. Of course, as this is the Internet, retaliation was even more ignorant, saying things varying from “Kill yourself twice” to implying one was a transsexual man. What does it say about humanity as a whole when someone doesn't realize that telling someone to kill themselves could actually lead to them killing themselves if that person was just looking for a final reason to do it? It's as though society is moving backwards instead of forward. I really don't think these people would be writing things like “Cancer? Just die already.” So why is it okay to joke about depression and suicide? It's a disease just as cancer is. So what I'm asking you as my readers is this. Help raise awareness of depression and suicide. You don't have to donate money to an organization, just help try put a stop to this hate and ignorance. Don't just do it for suicide prevention week, do it all day, every day. If you see someone making jokes about it, tell them that it's not funny and explain to them why it's not a joke. If you know someone suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, talk to them. Better yet, just listen to them. Some people just need a place to let out everything they're feeling to help themselves through it. If you're suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts, don't give up. Listen to your favorite band if music's your thing, find a friend, a doctor, the suicide hotline, whatever. But know that you're not alone in the world. Here's some websites you may be interested in: http://www.twloha.com/ http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
1 Comment
Granny
9/11/2010 09:48:20 am
That is a powerful article, Lindsey. Great job!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorHello! I'm Lindsey. I'm a writer with a ton of random thoughts bouncing around in my head. So I share them here in hopes that they reach others with these thoughts. Archives
January 2021
Categories
All
|