Mental illness and suicide are often portrayed as tragically beautiful and as a young woman surrounded by it, I find this picture troubling. The self-harm trend in young women is 6:1. Yet, quotes like “Her eyes ran out of tears of shed, so she forced her skin to cry instead.” still makes its way around the internet. Self-harm is not a poem. It is not some beautifully tragic form of art. By posting things like this online, you are giving the wrong impression to young teens still lost and trying to find themselves. Posting pictures of blades in black and white with the caption “this is a different kind of art” validates the action when we should be condoning it. Mental illness is not some type of aesthetic. It is not tragically beautiful. It …show more content…
Anorexia is not being skinny, it is starving yourself to the bone, it is growing peach fuzz all over your body as a way to retain some body heat, it is fatigue, it is seizures, it is loss of hair, it is easily broken bones and more. Depression affects 12% of Canadians over the age of 18 and it is still seen as a choice by some. It is not having a bad day or feeling down, it is loss of interest in your hobbies, it is not being to get up in the morning, having a constant feeling of emptiness. By promoting the “beauty” of mental illness you are enticing people into a very unhealthy state and taking hope of recovery from those dealing with mental …show more content…
Combined with a global upward trend in suicides, you would think we would have more preventions in place. However, I still see the romanticizing of it online. Quotes such as “suicidal people are just angels who want to go home”, “suicide is the sincerest form of criticism life gets.” And “suicide is the one decision you won’t live to regret”. All glorify and makes suicide seem as the best way to stick it to the man, a final “fuck you” to everyone who has ever wronged you. Some even portray it as the only way to reach eternal bliss and freedom. Presenting these ideas to people already contemplating the act can be the difference between life or death. It is important to portray suicide as what it really is; a permanent solution to a temporary