For years, suicide and mental illness have been seen as taboo subjects, but the staggering statistics of both have now made them virtually impossible to ignore.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a startling statistic that someone takes his or her own life every 40 seconds. This number translates to over 800,000 deaths every year.
When you add this to the fact that suicide is second-leading cause of death in people ages 15-29 it is clear that we must take action.
Mental illness and suicide are stigmatized conditions and they have carried this stigma for too long.
The tragic death of Robin Williams has reminded us all that mental illness is a real health condition.
Even someone who has all the money and fame in the world can fall victim to suicide, because depression is a disease of the brain and does not limit itself to socioeconomic class, race, or gender.
Healthcare has come a long way in its treatment and handling of mental illness, yet the stigma remains.
Organizations such as “Bring Change 2 Mind” and the “National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),” have both been fighting for the rights of patients and families affected by mental illness for years.
This semester I will be joining NAMI’s “Ending the Silence Campaign,” in which we will be traveling to Chicago Public Schools to educate young students about mental illness, why they should not be afraid to seek help, and where they can find this help.
These programs will be crucial to changing the mentality of the general public creating a more educated nation.
The greatest way to make an impact on the future is through the youth, and it just so happens that this crisis affects them the most.
Our society needs to be educated about the truth behind these mental illnesses, instead of blaming the individual or calling them selfish.
These diseases are real and if we do not begin to treat them as such, these unnecessary deaths will continue to occur.
The second leading cause of death of high school and college students is suicide.
With this in mind we need to target these age groups to educate them, show them that they do not need to be embarrassed of their condition, and that help is readily available.
Most of the time it is too late, but if we stand against the stigma of mental illness the youth of society may one day regain their freedom from these devastating health conditions.
Zachary Heppner
Viewpoints Editor