Tag: stigma

Suicide stigma creates additional pain for survivors who already carry devastating grief by adding shame, judgment, social isolation, and reluctance to discuss loss honestly. Stigma manifests in others’ discomfort with the topic, insensitive comments or questions, blame directed at survivors or the deceased, minimization of grief, and cultural silence around suicide that treats it as shameful secret rather than tragedy deserving compassion. Fighting stigma through education, honest conversation, advocacy, and refusing to participate in shame-based silence helps survivors and contributes to cultural change that might prevent future deaths by encouraging help-seeking and honest dialogue about mental health struggles.