Written by: Samaira Tohin
Edited by: Shruti Shaji
Suicide is one of the most difficult topics to address when it comes to conversations about mental health. At the same time, it is also one of the most pressing mental health problems. Every year, around a million people die by suicide, and many bystanders are also affected sometimes even developing suicidal ideations themselves (Kučukalić & Kučukalić, 2017). Language is fundamental in interacting with our world because it shapes our societal norms and public perception of ideas. Despite all this, the language that it is used to discuss suicide is imbued with stigma, misunderstanding, and judgment, further alienating individuals who need help.
One problem about the way individuals talk about suicide is the lack of empathy in the words used. It is common to hear the phrase “committed suicide”. Saying that one has “committed” suicide carries negative connotations with it, connecting suicide with the idea of sin and criminality (American Psychiatric Association, 2023). In addition, the phrase implies a sense of blame for the act, which can be misleading. Focusing on the act itself can obscure the deeper mental health struggles that lead up to this action. Instead, people are encouraged to say that one has “died” by suicide. It is a more empathetic approach, emphasizing the culmination of emotional pain and overwhelming circumstances rather than attributing the act to the person’s character.
Another issue is that suicide is usually seen as selfish because of the lasting impact it leaves on those left behind (Springer, 2024). The survivors often struggle to understand why the person would choose suicide in the first place, feeling like their own emotions and thoughts have been disregarded. However, this viewpoint is flawed because it overlooks the mental health struggles that lead to suicidal thoughts. When individuals contemplate suicide, their thinking is very distorted when battling these thoughts; they may not able to see reality in the same way they would without their suicidal ideations(Springer, 2024). Many feel like suicide is their only source of escape from emotional turmoil. This is why it is important to use language that acknowledges emotional distress. Instead of using judgmental language like “they abandoned their loved ones” or “they took the easy way out”, people could say things like “they were facing a mental health crisis” or “struggling with overwhelming pain”.
Casual references to suicide have also been embedded into everyday conversations, minimizing the severity of the issue. Humor is often used by people to be able to better handle adversities occurring in their lives (Schneider et al., 2018). When it comes to suicide, you can often hear somebody joking that they’re going to kill themselves because of a minor inconvenience. This type of humor is prevalent among young people. These jokes can come off as dismissive and invalidating to those who actually experience suicidal thoughts, making them feel like their pain is not taken seriously.
Suicide is an important topic that isn’t easy to discuss due to the stigma surrounding it. Language can have a huge impact on how we view things, in this case suicide. By using more compassionate language, we can encourage more open conversations and give people who are facing a mental health crisis safe spaces to share their feelings with others.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2023, March 23). How to talk about suicide on social media. https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/APA-Blogs/How-to-Talk-About-Suicide-on-Social-Media
Kučukalić, S., & Kučukalić, A. (2017). Stigma and Suicide. Psychiatria Danubina, 29(Suppl 5), 895–899.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29283986/
Schneider, M., Voracek, M., & Tran, U. S. (2018). “A joke a day keeps the doctor away?” Meta‐analytical evidence of differential associations of habitual humor styles with mental health. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 59(3), 289–300. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12432
Springer, S. (2024, March 4). Is suicide selfish? Understanding the suicidal mind. Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors. https://allianceofhope.org/is-suicide-selfish-understanding-the-suicidal-mind
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