Mental Health Awareness, It's Past Time

A lot of positive attention has been focused on mental health issues in the last few years. The Silver Ribbon Campaign has been around since 1993 (renamed in 2004) with the goal of promoting public awareness, improving treatment and decreasing the stigma attached to those with brain disorders and disabilities. Celebrities have spoken publicly about their struggles such as Catherine Zeta-Jones dealing with bipolar disorder. Demi Lovato and Tracy Gold have shared with the world about their eating disorders. And depression, well it's hard to find many who don't deal with it at some time or other. Writers such as J.K. Rowling and Jenny Lawson, actors like Wil Wheaton, Owen Wilson and Heath Ledger, musicians like Mary K. Blige and Sheryl Crow, even well known athletes Terry Bradshaw and Mike Tyson are all known to be dealing with depression and/or anxiety disorders to varying degrees. If people with the talent, money and fan adoration these people have can succumb, every day folk like you and I are definitely not immune. I have written previously about my own issues.

But for every positive step made there arises a situation that reminds the world that not enough is being done:

A veteran with PTSD returns home to deal the best he can with what he has seen and done overseas. Not finding the help needed, the anger and confusion inside build. These eventually explode into a violent attack on someone they love or commit suicide.

A teenager so distraught and depressed over bullying that they can't see any escape, commits suicide because they don't understand there are other options.

Someone with a disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder breaks with reality and commits horrific mass shootings on strangers.

There are horrible examples occurring every day. In the last week alone we have witnessed a guy with a rifle killing people in a mall, that completely tragic and senseless murder of those precious children in Connecticut, and just this morning a man shooting 3 people inside a hospital in Alabama. And those are just the ones with the big headlines. There are hundreds or thousands of others that don't make the national news. Now I realize that we don't know based on history and diagnosis for sure if these people were mentally ill. But we DO KNOW! Rational, reasonable people do not gun down 5 yr old children they have never met because they were having problems at home.

I am talking about horrific breakdowns in the providing of mental health care and treatment to citizens of this country. Whether it is from families and friends ignoring signs, thinking their loved ones are OK, just a little different or because they would be ashamed of seeking treatment for themselves or a family member. Some hope the problems will go away in time because treatment is too hard to come by, is too expensive or too inconvenient to add into their already hectic schedules. The aunt of the shooter in Connecticut said that if there were any mental health concerns the boy's mother would have taken action, that she "wasn't one to deny reality". But his brother stated there were concerns the guy had some type of autistic disorder. Law enforcement states there may have been a personality disorder. Obviously! 

Now I'm not saying that all people with depression or autism are potential killers. These are just a couple of the armchair diagnoses being made in this case. Actually, those with autism are more likely to be the victim rather than the perpetrator of violence. But it is painfully apparent that there was more going on here than a kid being upset with his parents getting divorced a few years ago! What I am saying is that events like this cannot stop us from admitting there may be a mental health problem within ourselves or in our family. 

People need to pay better attention to each other; in their families, among their friends, even at work. If we see red flags, talk to the person or get someone better equipped than yourself to talk to them. Parents, don't just assume it's just a growing phase if they become withdrawn and isolated. You could be saving your child's life.

Doctors need to look for warning signs in all patients. Teachers, school counselors, coaches, anyone who interacts with kids on a regular basis should be aware of potential problems or sudden changes in a child's emotion/psychological behavior. 

There is still much work to be done. We have to let people know it is alright to seek help when it's needed. Help has to be available and affordable so it can be accessed. We need better screenings to identify those who don't realize they need help. We can't hide our heads in the sand and pretend this will go away.

Above all, if you feel you need help, get it! You won't regret it.