If I have to sit here for one more minute, I’m going to kill myself. I’d rather shoot myself than do that. We hear these expressions all the time in our daily conversations -- jokes or exaggerations using suicide to make their point. Of course, most of the time we are only joking -- most of us would never even think about suicide. But those who have considered it, or have lost loved ones to suicide, see these jokes in a completely different way. To them, these expressions, exaggerations or jokes are not just that; they take on a completely different meaning, a reality that those who haven’t experienced it don’t quite fully understand. It hurts to hear someone joke about something they’ve never had experience with, something that often hold deep emotional scars. However, despite this, most of American continues to make light of suicide in their everyday conversations.

The same is done with mental illness. People are always quick to claim that they are “so depressed,” or “so bipolar today” or “are having a panic attack.” Just like the suicide comments, people just use these illnesses to over exaggerate their current moods, not realizing to those who actually have these mental illnesses this is insulting. Unintentionally, by using these mental illnesses to joke they are implying that mental illnesses are just an exaggeration. It makes it more difficult for those who actually suffer from these illnesses, or are considering suicide to be taken seriously. Dealing with a mental illness is difficult enough, but dealing with it in a world that uses them as a joke, makes their struggle much more difficult.

The hardest part of trying to stop people from using suicide and mental illness in the same struggle seen through the use of the words "gay" or "retarded." People have different connotations of the word; so while some see their meaning as hurtful and offensive, even if it isn’t meant to be, others don’t quite understand how others hear, perceive and react to certain words. There develops a disconnect between the word and its original meaning, which makes people who use those words think it is OK to use them, because they aren’t intentionally trying to hurt someone else. However, people become so focused on intention that they lose sight of the issue of the argument, which is that the word can have the power to hurt.

Many people, when they are asked to stop using certain words as jokes or exaggerations respond in anger, saying that people are too sensitive, and need to learn not to take everything so personally; that it was “just a joke.” The problem is that they don’t understand, it is not a joke to everyone. Unless they have felt desperate enough to consider suicide, or felt the fear from being unable to breathe during a panic attack, or so freaked from everyday anxiety they avoid situations or felt the hopelessness and exhaustion that couples depression they cannot fully understand how using these words in joking manners make others feel. Sure, not everyone who suffers from these illnesses takes offense, but many do.

As a society, and as individuals, we need to remember to think of others when we speak. We need to remember that our words can hold different meanings to others and be conscious of that. Of course, no one is perfect and it is hard to break habits of speech. But that is no excuse not to try.