"It comes back to how we can speak of our dead with love and compassion," says the mother of a 21-year-old boy who took his life. "Saying that your loved one committed suicide seems like the ultimate act of betrayal—blaming them for their own illness and suffering. Bring them back to the light, your conversation, your family history, your mantel or photo album, with loving compassion by proclaiming that they died by suicide... They were ill, they ended their pain, and we mourn them."
It's also not appropriate to say that a person who attempts suicide either 'succeeds'—i.e., dies—or 'fails'—lives. Again, we need to avoid judging. Moreover, suicide shouldn't be thought of as a goal, like passing or failing a test. An individual survives a suicide attempt or not. If not, it's referred to as 'a completed suicide.'
Too often, reporters cover a suicide the same way they cover a crime, but suicide isn't a crime. This often perpetuates harmful stigmas and inaccuracies around mental health, influencing public perception and discussion.
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