I was scrolling through Facebook a couple of days ago, passing time when I saw a post that made my stomach drop. One of my former classmates (who has multiple mental illnesses) posted about an alarming, yet common, encounter she had at school. She was walking down the hallway at the high school, just going about her day, when she overheard the two boys in front of her discussing, in a joking matter, that they were going to kill themselves.

The fact of the matter is that the phrase “I’m going to kill myself” has become almost normalized in society. It has become a casual term used to indicate the severity of a situation. For example, one might say: “I’m going to kill myself if I have to see her one more time.”

This is heart-breaking to me. Suicide is a topic that should not be taken lightly. Not only does joking about this topic hurt people who have a mental illness, but it also hurts people who have lost someone to suicide. I don’t understand how or why someone would make fun of suicide.

The fact of the matter is that you wouldn’t say things like: “wow, I hope I don’t fail this test like you failed the ACT” or “man, I might need to cheat on this test like your boyfriend cheated on you.” So why is it deemed “okay” to be so lassiez-faire with the matter of suicide?

The reason is because it has to do with mental health. Mental health is still not regarded as important as physical health. Mental health is still not taken seriously by a majority of people around the world. Mental health is still seen as only weakness instead of an illness. Unfortunately, there a strong stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. Also unfortunately, that stigma is not a positive one. It is a negative one.

This is incredibly infuriating to me. I understand it is impossible for everyone to know what others have gone through. However, empathy will be our greatest ally in the battle between the stigma of mental health and the truth about mental health.

The truth of the matter is that mental illness is not a weakness. According to the World Health Organization, more than 300 million people around the world have depression. According to an article in the Huffington Post, more than 12.7 million people around the world are diagnosed with cancer. I’m not saying that cancer is any less traumatizing than a mental illness. What I am saying is that a physical illness that garners so much attention actually affects less people than a mental illness that affects more people.

Advancements have made in the field of mental health awareness. However, we must continue to do make advancements. Now is the time to spread awareness about issues we care about. This is an issue I care about. I wrote my two cents about it. Now it’s your turn. Be the warriors mental health needs. Fight. Speak up.