Thoughts About Recent Losses

Suicide isn’t the problem we have in our society. Suicide is the result of a society that vilifies anyone with a mental illness so much they are ashamed to talk about the thoughts invading their own brains.

We understand how to fix a broken leg, we’ve made huge medical advancements to treat cancer, most diseases of the body are understood and treatable. With something like the mind, however, there isn’t a one-cure-fits-all. There’s a level of fear when we can’t fully comprehend something — so we ignore it, misrepresent it, run from it.

We tell ourselves the victims are selfish. “How could they do this to the ones they love?” “Why didn’t they reach out to me?” “I didn’t even know they were hurting.”

Things have to change

We must reverse the idea of being mentally ill as the fault of the person dealing with it. It’s never the fault of the child who breaks their leg. We blame cancer when someone is afflicted. We need to start blaming the mental disorders that plague one in five American adults. We need to identify the real culprit so the victims can get the help they need.

Even with the power we have to stay connected, we’ve created a lonely society. Through our fear of that which we don’t understand, we’ve pushed the mentally ill into a corner where they feel left with few options to end their struggle. We’ve gone against one of our most basic of needs, which is connection.

Reach out, be kind, listen just to listen, make real connections. Suicide is not the problem. Suicide is the result of our diseased ideas about mental health.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1–800–273–8255

Emotional Listening Support
1–800–932–4616

The Friendship Line
1–800–971–0016

Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741