I have always tried to be my most authentic self. Being real is the one thing I know I can do. Yet growing up I would never show my sadness. I just wanted to be my happy self. Through this journey I have learned so much more than I could ever imagine. Now it is truly hard for me to put on a facade. I am incapable of showing the opposite of how I feel. Which I think is a good thing.
But it is so hard for some people not to be fake. Our world is filled with fake people and shows all over media and life. So I am going to be real. Real about things people never talk about. Suicide. Depression. The entire reason people do not speak about these topics is because of how hard the topic is. How real it is. But if we never speak about them, the number of people who have depression or commit suicide will keep rising.
The biggest hardship in stopping the stigma that is connected to these words is how the media portrays them. Shows like 13 reasons why fantasize suicide as if it is not a big deal at all. They would rather put suicide in a show to create shock value than to strengthen the awareness that suicide should have. That show is not true what so ever. If you watch it and you are not seeing how harmful it is, let me tell you.
Last year when the first season came out, I decided to start watching it because everyone was talking about how good it was. There were no trigger warnings in the beginning of the show so I knew nothing of what was coming. We never truly get the feel of how the main character internalizes all she feels. It is all portrayed as revenge. Suicide is not revenge. It is not due to other people. Of course bullying can definitely lead to suicide, there are underlying reasons that no one knows of that causes the action. The whole reason suicide occurs is because of the persons own feelings, no one elses. People who already are depressed or those whom are survivors, often feel a burden when they watch this show as if they should commit this act. Also it is very rare that people who commit suicide have long plans that involve other people. It is unrealistic. One of the biggest reasons suicide is so harmful is because people are left with so many questions. They are never able to understand why one did it. In the show, suicide is shown as a logical option. It is not at all. But the biggest problem is that young people are watching this today.
Growing up with a show like this being popular is devastating to those who have been through their own journey of depression and suicidal adiation.
I have heard all of the explanations of how this show is expressing awareness but it is not. So, to those who are watching, please be careful. Do not believe all you see. As a society we all need to love and be aware of others around us. We never know the triggers of others or what others are going through. If we see one that needs help, get them help. Speak up and take action. We need action now. Before the numbers keep rising.
xoxo
Sky