Since the moment my passion for mental health advocacy was sparked, I have looked for ways to apply my knowledge of mental health everywhere. Seriously. I just want to share information. I want others to share my passion. But you know what? It doesn’t take much searching – every day things come up that make me think – “That’s a stigma.” “I want to change that.” “Why do we think this way?”
I’ve recently gotten hooked on the show The Killing. I was watching it just now, nearly the end of the second season, and there’s a scene in which two political opponents are talking. A few weeks prior to this talk, one had attempted suicide. His opponent found out and threatened to release the information to the public, telling him, “The whole country will know what a coward you are.” And in my mind, I’ve stopped thinking about what implications this has for the show. I’m just going, “STIGMA STIGMA STIGMA.”
Cowardice.
That is only one of the many associations people often make to suicide. Does cowardice have anything but a negative connotation? I didn’t think so.
Suicide is a very complex matter, and should never be reduced to simple, negative associations. It’s no wonder people don’t feel comfortable talking about it.
Later in this episode, however, the man who attempted suicide tells his ex-girlfriend about it, and she says, “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” That. That is the appropriate reaction. Shame should not have to be a component of talking about suicide.
Now, I’m realistic, and I realize that shame will always exist. But it’s a shame that it does.
OpenMind 