"Dear Evan Hansen"

Dear Evan Hansen

Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide

I’m behind the times. I know this. I just watched “Dear Evan Hansen,” and most of this post will be about mental health, because the musical/movie is about mental health and suicide. I was deeply afraid of watching this even though so many people raved over it and thought it was the best thing ever when it came out. My husband found the movie on a streaming service and was like ???? So I said sure, let’s watch it. I knew the basic premise of the first half of it because of the soundtrack, but nothing about the second half of it.

I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who still has yet to see it, but go watch it!!! It is intense. It is not violent, nor is it gory at all. But it talks about mental health and suicide. A series of misunderstandings and bad decisions turns into one huge mess that nobody can climb out of, but the main character in the end does the best he can do to rectify the situation. It’s not perfect, and there’s no satisfaction, but life isn’t filled with perfect endings.

The main message of the movie is that no one person is on their own. Song titles like “Waving Through A Window” and “You Will Be Found” strongly hint at the meaning. You will be remembered by somebody. These songs honestly helped me through deep periods of depression when it came out. It helped knowing that somebody out there would remember me, even though I couldn’t think off the top of my head who that somebody could be.

The movie (sorry, I saw the movie, not the musical) also dances around how each person remembers you differently. Your mother might remember you one way while trying to remember you a different way once you’re deceased. Your sister might remember the cold shoulder you gave her until someone gives her reason to believe you loved her, just from a million miles away. Your classmates might never know you and never think twice about it until you end your life prematurely, and then wonder why they never gave you a second glance. All these people, yet nobody remembers you the way you want to be remembered. Nobody understands you the way you want to be understood. Nobody takes the time to get a glimpse into your life.

It also brings up how many people mask their mental health issues. I had to laugh when they were comparing medications because I had heard of all of them. They were taking them for anxiety and depression. One girl was on one medication, and I was thinking “only one? Man, you must be ‘healthy’”. That’s just because I’m on so many medications. Therapy is common. Medication for anxiety and depression is common. Other mental health issues are common! It’s time we take the stigma away from them and start helping instead of “trying to fix” brain chemistry with our cute little non-therapy toolbox. Mental health is becoming increasingly a bigger and bigger issue in our country!

So to you I pose this question for your consideration from “Dear Evan Hansen”

“When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around, do you ever really crash, or even make a sound?”