If you have been active on the internet for the past few weeks or so, you have likely heard about rapper Kanye West’s social media rampage.

West, who now goes by Ye, is most known for being a top Grammy-winning rapper, producer and designer.

These past few weeks, however, Ye’s Instagram account has sparked conversation not about his music but about his divorce from his soon-to-be ex-wife Kim Kardashian. 

Though Ye and Kardashian announced their divorce in February 2021, Kardashian’s increasingly serious relationship with Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson is the catalyst for a series of concerning Instagram posts from Ye. 

From calling Davidson ‘Skete’ ( contributing to Davidson deleting Instagram) to insulting Kardashian’s parenting of their children and begging her to come back to him, Ye’s Instagram posts have been a series of concerning rants, most of which are in all caps and clearly display the intensity of Ye’s feelings. 

Many fans and online critics have been quick to call Ye’s actions a public meltdown, especially considering Ye is open about dealing with bipolar disorder. 

Other fans and critics have quickly poked fun at the whole issue, making memes and jokes at the expense of Ye.

As someone who deals with mental health issues, the idea of being made fun of for my mental health by millions of strangers on the Internet is terrifying. 

The issue isn’t that mental health is a topic that cannot be joked about. It absolutely is and mental health humor is a popular and effective coping mechanism to empathize with others going through similar issues. 

The issue in this case is that people are making Ye’s public meltdown a topic of celebrity drama rather than what it actually is: a case of someone who is in need of mental health support.

This is not to say Ye is completely absolved from fault. He is still actively harassing and publicly humiliating Kardashian and Davidson, and he 100 percent deserves to be held accountable. 

What he does not deserve, however, is the ridicule and mockery of his very serious mental health issues.

Public celebrity mental breakdowns are nothing new; there are countless examples over the years of celebrities’ dark choices being put on blast for the entire public. Notable examples include Britney Spears’ public depressive episode, Justin Bieber’s substance abuse addiction and Lindsay Lohan’s stunts in and out of rehab — all of which placed these individuals into a glaring spotlight while they were at the lowest point in their lives.

However, with the knowledge and mental health awareness we have developed over the years, we must leave the public shaming of mental illness behind in order for a healthier and more accepting 2022.