[generalbrando]

Those who know me know that I like to turn things into a joke (especially at dinner time). I do this all in good fun. The one thing I never joke about is suicide. The reason is simply that if you pass a friend, aquanitance, or even just someone who sits in your calculus class and you say 'hey what's up?' and they reply, --jokingly--, that they are off to kill themselves: you may very well be the last person they ever see or talk to. It would make sense for them to not say anything about their plans, but as Ken pointed out they may be reaching out. Just because a person kills themself doesn't mean they didn't think it was a horrible thing to do. Having someone stop them at that point in the hallway and tell them "don't do it" might just keep them alive. Of course if they really were joking, it's no big deal and you can go on to class and laugh it off. However, if you laugh instead and keep walking, you may never be able to get their words out of your head if they are dead the next day.

Suicide is often treated as a dark and maybe even taboo topic. Some people try to stop others from even talking openly about suicide. When someone opens their mouth to talk about it, many people who mean well tell them not to think like that and change the subject. Talking about suicide is not a bad thing - it can actually be very helpful. For anyone who has thought about suicide - it is more common than you may think for people to think about it. Talk about it with your family, friends, or (if you're uncomfortable with them) a psychologist. There's no shame in getting the help you need and you may not be able to solve the problem on your own.

My condolences.