NROP: How raising awareness can kill you. Literally.

When I sat down to write this post, I realized that I wrote quite a few posts on this blog, which were inspired by suicide. Because I do not want to repeat what I have said in the past, I decided to share these posts with you in a structured way. (See hyperlinks below.)

Every year, in May, I think about suicide. Not about committing it, but about others who may be thinking about taking their own life. Even though we seem to be more “depressed” during the winter months due in large to limited sunlight, it is the spring and early summer months that are infamous in the mental health community. Various studies show that it is, in fact, May that claims the biggest harvest.

Almost two years ago I wrote a post about suicide, in which you can find many interesting facts, as well as a short original poem on the topic. To have a read, please click –> HERE <–.

During the darker periods of our lives, we tend to compare ourselves to others and say: “If only I was this or that person“, “If only I had this or that“. However, I would like you to take a moment and distance yourself from these thoughts. We are who we are and we need to work with what we have. Because we are not other people, we cannot know for sure how they feel.

Even celebrities, or maybe ESPECIALLY celebrities cannot run away from darkness and suicide. I wrote about it –> HERE <–.

There are many reasons why people attempt to take their own lives. Often times their self-image is cracked, or sometimes it even misses a few pieces. It does not help when others around them say mean things without thinking about the consequences their words can have on other people.

If you are struggling with what people say about you, I recommend that you take a look at a piece –> HERE <–.

Do you ever watch (or read, or do) things for research? I sometimes do. And that was the case with “13 reasons why”. Two years ago, it was all the rage. People of all ages HAD to watch it. It was that good. So I did. It was a TV show aired on Netflix, about the life of a high-school girl, who committed suicide. After she dies, someone finds cassette tapes on which she recorded … you guessed it – 13 reasons why she committed suicide. Various people and events are described as factors in her final decision. 

The latest study shows that there was an increase in the number (by nearly a third!) of suicides among children 10 – 17 years old in the month following the airing of the show. The rest of that year (2017) yielded a higher than expected harvest, as well. However, people at the age of 18 – 29 were said to report fewer self-harm episodes and suicidal thoughts.

Netflix knew it was dealing with a sensitive topic, so it employed the consulting services of a suicide prevention expert – Dan Reidenberg, who expressed his feelings towards the show. He did not want it to air. He was worried that it would push kids towards self-harm. Unfortunately, Netflix did not listen to him. The phenomenon is called a suicide contagion. It occurs when suicide is prominently featured in the media, and it leads to other people committing similar acts. Young people are especially vulnerable to it. The show is said to “encourage people with suicidal ideation to keep returning to the idea of suicide, and to continually engage with it and become comfortable with it” – says Constance Grady in her article. It is a perfect quote. This particular suicide is that much worse because the recorded cassettes leave ” a legacy”, turning the victim into a heroine. You feel a sense of vindication, because she destroys so many lives with those recordings.

The show did not have the same impact it had on others. I found it to be very cliche. No one likes me, people bully me, people lie to me, so I have no choice but to kill myself. I do not want to minimize anyone’s problems, but I believe that aside from sympathizing with people who are going through a rough patch, we need to be actively working on SOLUTIONS. What does that mean? Every one of us should find coping techniques that work for us. Do not wait until you are in a rut. Do it today. Start learning about what makes you tick, and what helps you. Start getting your mind right. If you pre-launch things correctly, it will be easier for you to deal with hardship in the future. If you do not, there is a chance you will run into an obstacle you will not know how to overcome. You will struggle as if you were in quicksand, and you might drown.

There are also some short stories I wrote on the topic of suicide, if you would like to take a look, please feel free to click –> HERE <– or –> HERE <–.

Have you seen “13 reasons why”?

If so, what did you think about it?

Please remember that if you ever struggle with intrusive thoughts of harming yourself (or others for that matter), you can Contact me –> HERE <–. I am not a professional, but I will listen to whatever you have to say.

Stay golden,

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