This column includes matters of self-harm and suicide.
The normality of suicide jokes is what creates such an extensive stigma around talking about mental health.
Have you ever heard someone joke about suicide or mental illness? How did it make you feel? For me, I was never really bothered by it. It felt so normalized to hear someone joke about matters that make others feel so deeply. It shouldn’t be normal.
I recently was in a situation where I was speaking about how overwhelmed I was to some friends, and one of them then said, “Well, you know, you can always just kill yourself." My jaw dropped. I was very taken aback by this. I knew it was a joke, but it hit close to home. I lost a dear friend to suicide last year, and these words made me feel so much sadness and anger all at once. I thought about whether jokes like this were made to my friend.
Suicide jokes are unfortunately extremely common among most people, and I can guarantee that almost every time one is made, someone is affected in a similar way that I was.
Jokes about suicide may not make it more likely that someone contemplates completing suicide; however, they do bring a lot of hurt to those who have struggled with suicidal ideation or have lost a loved one to suicide.
Some may argue that joking about suicide is just making light of something so serious, but what joking about it does is make people feel that their struggles are just something everyone else sees as silly and unserious. So, while joking about suicide may not directly influence how someone thinks about suicide, it can minimize their feelings and cause them to feel unreasonable.
Think about whether or not you have made a joke about mental illness or suicide. How did you feel making the joke? Did you feel somewhat uncomfortable, like you knew you were saying something you shouldn’t? Think about the people around you, what were their reactions? Did they laugh along awkwardly, or even say nothing at all? Unfortunately, any mention of suicide is uncomfortable for all parties involved, but making jokes about it only makes it worse.
Stopping the jokes about mental health only feeds into the stigma, and to stop this prevalence, it starts with all of us. If you stop making jokes, then maybe those around you will stop, too. You also have to have the courage to speak up when your friends make jokes. Breaking the stigma starts with one person, but so does perpetuating the stigma. We all have a choice, and I believe the correct one is clear.
Do what is right for you and your community, even if it means being the odd one out. It may feel awkward when telling others to stop making hurtful jokes, but it is what our world needs. Be the person who makes others feel seen by standing up for them when they can’t.
Rylee Drees is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Rylee about their column? Email them at rd198224@ohio.edu.
