Stigma of mental health

Why is no one listening to us?

 

Another young person dead. The epidemic claims another life. People receive the latest information; hospitals are put on stand by while the population is warned of the telltale symptoms. Why are fatalities still occurring? For many it’s puzzling but for me it’s completely obvious. What is this horrifying epidemic I hear you ask? 

Suicide…
 

Selfish, spoilt, waster, ungrateful: all words I have heard in the same sentence as suicide. ‘The poor family’ is another favourite, but what about the poor victim? 

Why does nobody ever think about what they were going through in order to take such drastic measures to escape? Why is more not being done to prevent people from getting into such states? Why aren’t more people asking for help? 

I’ll tell you why…. 

There is a huge stigma associated with mental health. If you confide to someone that you are feeling suicidal you are immediately labelled an attention seeker. To admit to feeling depressed you are obviously lazy and one of those young people of today who just doesn’t know how lucky they are. 

You are greeted with a smart: 

‘What have you got to be depressed about?’

‘People were never depressed in my day- we were too busy to be depressed’ or

‘I’ll give you something to be depressed about….’ 

If this were the reaction from the people you love, why would you confide in a total stranger and risk humiliation? In fact, why would you risk confiding in anyone? 

Instead things tend to build up, growing worse and worse until one day you snap. Everything at that moment in time is unbearable. It’s then that you make the decision. It’s not that you want to die- you just need to escape from the horrible place that you’re at… it’s just too much… 

Why is the issue of suicide not being addressed in order to prevent people from reaching this crucial point? How many people have to die from suicide before we address the joke that is the so-called mental health ‘system’? Hah- I’ve experienced it, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy… 

This issue has to be addressed sooner rather than later before any more lives are lost. Why is no one listening to us? 

Find out more about mental health, suicide and where to get help.

By: Marie Duffy