Lately there have been a lot of posts on social media, namely Twitter, about issues like suicide, depression, and mental illness. A lot of people have been telling their stories or rather their journey to where and how they are now. Which is fantastic, people will know that they are not the only ones going through something difficult. A common theme within these stories is that in addition to what the person is already enduring, their peers are assholes.

We live in a society where we think its okay to judge people and say horrible things to them despite the fact that we have no idea what is going on in their personal life. We are so quick to jump to conclusions about the girl who never comes to class and when she does, she never pays attention. We judge the guy in class who doesn’t come prepared and is completely lost when the professor randomly calls on him to answer a question. But we never stop to think and question whether they are okay, or if there is actually something on beneath the surface that we don’t see or know about. We get sucked into our own bubble and never consider what might be going on in their life. And to be brutally honest, chances are most of us don’t care enough to ask.

There are a number of people going through different things that we have no clue about. And because of that, we need to learn to be kind to everyone. We need to understand that words actually do hurt and can in fact cause a person emotional harm. We need to understand that there are people who suffer from mental illness and can’t really control that. We need to understand that people suffer from depression and it’s most definitely not a “cry for attention.” We need to learn to care for not just ourselves. But for the people around us, those we interact with each day. You’d be surprised how far a “How are you doing?” question can go. Or even just a smile as you walk by. Simple things like that can go a long way.

Being kind or at the very least courteous can change a persons mood for the better. Just as being a jerk can ruin a persons entire day. Who ever came up with the mantra “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” was wrong. Words do have the potential to hurt. They can hurt just as much as actions. To some extent they hurt far worse.

To those dealing with depression, mental illness, and even suicidal thoughts, the words “I’m Sorry” are not apt for what I’d like to say but it’s a start. I’m sorry we haven’t learned how to care the feelings of others. I’m sorry that you have to deal with difficult situations of which you may feel you have no way out of. I’d like you to know that that is not true. God does not place us in situations that he knows we cannot endure. You can and will get through the problems going on.

As a PSA: Be kind. Everyone is fighting their own battles, and the last thing they need is for people to be acting like complete assholes.