I was disgusted to hear that people find depression and bullying acceptable after a former Eastenders actor revealed in an interview how the public recently taunted his character for having a mental illness on social media.
Danny-Boy Hatchet who played Lee Carter in Eastenders said he was honored to have taken part in the storyline which sees his character pushed to the brink of suicide, bullying at work, resorting to taking out loans, arrested for a raid on his families pub.
However, he said that he was also disappointed to hear that viewers were taunting his character on social media by tweeting comments such as “Lee is so miserable” and “Lee needs to do the unthinkable and own up.”
He said: “If Lee was a real person he would feel even worse than his character.”
On New Year’s Eve, Eastenders fans watched as he climbed on top of a roof and went to jump off before being talked out of it by a lady who was on duty.
https://youtu.be/hKHxxFSl31o
I have personally been a victim of being snubbed and taunted for having a mental illness by several people who have pretended to be my friend and ditched me for being too miserable.
People have even accused me of doing things I haven’t done and called the police on me because I have a mental health illness.
I knew someone at school who used to have bulimia, and I would hear them laughing and egging her on to make herself sick.
It’s disgraceful how sick and twisted this world really is.
Some people joke about mental illness because they don’t know what to say or how to deal with someone with mental health or they sometimes think that tough love can help.
However, mental health issues go a lot deeper than trying to get someone’s attention or trying to get out of trouble.
An article published last month in the Huffington Post says that “Suicide is the leading cause of death of men and women aged 20 to 34, overcoming heart disease, road accidents, and cancer.”
“Men find this particularly challenging, which is why the suicide statistics are increasing, especially for older men with families who feel the weight of financial responsibility and keeping stability.”
Have you ever been snubbed or taunted for having a mental illness? Comment below or tweet @AdminChick #Neverafraidtospeak.