Let’s get real—talking about suicide makes people squirm. It’s the conversation everyone avoids until it’s too late. We slap on hashtags like #suicideprevention every September, share a few awareness posts, and then tuck the topic back into silence. But silence? That’s the problem. Silence kills.
I’m tired of suicide being treated like a shameful secret, as if speaking it out loud might make it contagious. No—it doesn’t work like that. Suicide is not weakness. It’s not selfishness. It’s not attention-seeking. It’s pain so heavy that someone can’t see a way through it. And if you’ve never been there, you don’t get to judge.
The Stigma That Hurts More Than the Struggle
What I wish you knew is this: stigma is just as deadly as the act itself. When we label people as “crazy,” “unstable,” or “dramatic,” we build walls instead of bridges. Those walls stop someone from reaching out. Those walls make people feel like a burden. And those walls are why too many don’t make it to tomorrow.
This isn’t about statistics. You don’t need numbers to prove how real it is. You need stories. You need honesty. You need people brave enough to say, “I thought about ending it. I didn’t think I’d survive myself. And I need you to know that.”
Breaking the Script
We’ve got to stop handing out generic advice like “stay strong” or “just pray on it.” Let’s be honest—when someone is drowning, they don’t need pep talks, they need a lifeline. Sometimes that lifeline is a friend who doesn’t flinch when the word suicide is said out loud. Sometimes it’s therapy. Sometimes it’s just being told, “You’re not broken. You’re human.”
Mental health awareness isn’t just about prevention hotlines. It’s about creating a world where no one feels ashamed to say, “I’m not okay.”
What I Wish You Knew
I wish you knew that people who have suicidal thoughts aren’t weak—they’re warriors carrying invisible battles every single day. I wish you knew that the casual jokes, the stigma, the silence? They cut deeper than you realize. And I wish you knew that asking someone if they’re okay could actually save a life.
Because suicide prevention isn’t about fixing people—it’s about making space for their pain without making them feel like a problem.
The Call to Shift
So here’s my unapologetic push: change the narrative. Stop whispering about suicide like it’s dirty. Talk about it like it’s real, because it is. If we can break the stigma, we can break the cycle. And if you’ve been where I’ve been—sitting in the dark, thinking it’s the end—hear this: your story isn’t over. You are not your pain. You are not your thoughts. You are not disposable.
You’re still here. And that matters.
