This past year I had someone say to me "I hate that class, it makes me want to kill myself," followed with a little laugh. I did not think this statement was funny, an off-hand joke about suicide is never funny. I have been friends with people who have thought about or even attempted taking their whole lives for quite awhile now and it still gets to me every time someone jokes about suicide.
We live in a world where serious matters are talked about inappropriately because we don't know how to respond, or we don't want the conversation to go that deep. How many times have we seen or heard someone tell another person to "kill themselves" over a simple argument? Now tell me, do you actually know how many people commit suicide?
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in the United States there are 117 suicides per day on average, and is the 10th leading cause of death (homicide is number 17 for perspective). It is also estimated that for every death, there is 25 attempts. Now tell me if you still think this is a laughing matter.
I have been taught all my life to take suicide threats seriously and to never take someone's struggle lightly. It is often thought that if we approach the subject of suicide, it is going to cause someone to take their life, so instead, we ignore it. Talking to someone, does not cause them to be suicidal, but it could save a life.
Instead of joking about suicide, talk to people and make them aware that this is a very real issue, and not something to take lightly. Become an advocate through the AFSP. Show your support to friends, family, coworkers, and peers and let them know you are a safe person to talk to. Most importantly, if you are joking about suicide because you yourself are suicidal, reach out to someone, there are people who care.
Suicide resources:
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Crisis Chat
Crisis text line: Text START to 741-741
