Chester Bennington’s suicide is an important reminder of our attitude towards depression

SM
SM
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

*TRIGGER WARNING*Depressed/Anxiety/Sad/Quote/Suicide/Mental Illness

Last night I had plans to sleep on time.

For a normal person, this isn’t a major chore, but for someone suffering from depression, sleeping on time is nothing short of a milestone. As I twisted and turned for two continuous hours, dealing with my palpitating heart, restless legs and suicidal ideation, sleep seemed a distant dream.

*beep beep*
There was a notification on my phone. ‘Might as well check that,’ I thought. Reading news of Chester Bennington’s death triggered a night of panic and distress. Inevitably I went online on the infamous Twitter to see what kind of support the world has garnered for Chester’s death. As expected, I came across the well-maintained online façade of mental illness and why it needs to be discussed.

Here’s the thing readers- I’m gonna drop a truth bomb, one which you won’t be willing to listen or debate about.

If your first response after hearing about somebody’s suicide is to post online, you don’t give two sh**s about mental illness and depression in general. And your online monologues hardly do any justice to depression patients in the world.

My timelines are filled with people who wouldn’t notice if a dear friend disappears and shuts himself/herself out, but will go online to write meaningless dialogues on how mental illness should be given importance. Am I of the opinion that online discussions don’t matter? Of course not. Online activism is an important and meaningful aspect of any battle against perpetrators of social violence. But to show your concern towards depression by writing tweets alone, while mindlessly damaging and breaking people’s hearts around you is hypocrisy of the highest order.

Here’s what we should be doing as responsible citizens and humans after hearing about somebody’s suicide instead of writing long-winded posts on social media that only have a temporary effect.

1. Call your friends and family-

Instead of writing posts online which only represent that you probably care about the topic of mental illness, call your closest friends and family. If you’re unsure of asking directly, devise methods to indirectly inquire about their mental health. There is a good chance that any of these people must be silently battling any sort of mental illness. Be there for them, and let those people know that you actually care.

2. Try to be more observant about patterns but be open to ideas-

You can’t stereotype those who suffer from depression. Many a times those who suffer from depression are laughing, talkative individuals amongst us as opposed to the solemn and melancholic demeanour that depressed people are associated with. Remember to always be informed about how your friends, family, and acquaintances are doing. If you know someone who abruptly minimised their social outings, or social media activity, be kind enough to give them a call. If they’re unavailable, go the extra mile and inquire about their whereabouts through their friends and family. Take isolation seriously.

3. Don’t forget to educate yourself and check your own mental health-

Thanks to the world of internet, there is more information than needed on mental illnesses. All you need to do is do your bit, and research on these topics. Also be regular in checking your own state of mind. It’s perfectly fair and all right to take a day off just to give your mind some rest.

4. Be aware of your neurotypical privilege-

Not everyone has the same capacity as you to deal with a similar problem. If you can surmount difficulties, doesn’t mean others have the potential to do the same. Just because you were never diagnosed with a mental illness or recovered easily, doesn’t mean others can easily let go or recover from the same.

5. Don’t forget to remind yourself that mental health treatment is a privilege-

Seeking treatment for depression and other mental health problems is more expensive than you think. At the end of the day, these are clinical illnesses and require proper diagnoses and medication. So if you have extra money on your hand, which you wouldn’t use for anything productive, have the courtesy to fund somebody’s treatment. They probably need it more than you.

And last but not the least, if you feel like you’ve successfully implemented the above points (like me), and still feel the need to initiate more dialogue on mental health, at the end of the day, social media is there to hear you out.

-SM

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SM

Written by

SM

Indian. Proud person of colour.

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