I have had fun with the few blogs I have written because you know, being opinionated AND having a place to voice those opinions is a wonderful freedom. What I've realized after rethinking the opportunity that blogging gives me is that I can really do something good with this freedom. With that in mind I venture into a new territory and I hope you will follow along.
How many mentally ill people do you know?
What picture comes to mind when someone says, "Have you heard that (insert your neighbor, your friend, your relative's name here) is mentally ill? Do you picture a scene from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Is the image you see one of people walking around in hallways, hospital gowns barely covering their undernourished bodies? Maybe others with worn, wrinkled, baggy clothes, hair wild and greasy, eyes wide and bugging out or staring blankly? Is your vision one of the paranoid patient, hiding in a corner, repeating the same phrase over and over, spittle running down the chin? Oh come on now, admit it, to some of you, some of these images or similar ones did cross your mind! Let's take a look at the "REAL PICTURE"!
THE REAL PICTURE OF MENTAL ILLNESS SHOULD BE:
The banker who gave you your new home loan this morning
The store clerk at Wal-Mart who pleasantly rang up and bagged your order
The teacher you talked to at your child's parent teacher conference
Your personal trainer at the gym
The Dr. you consulted about whether you should have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy
The police officer who took your accident report for the fender bender
The person who delivers your mail or your packages
The mechanic who fixed your brakes this morning
The dentist who pulled your child's tooth
The CEO of the largest business in town
The delivery person who just brought that pizza
The waitress or waiter who served you lunch at the corner cafe
The attorney who helped you file that lawsuit yesterday.
The politician you vehemently campaigned for
The person at the counter where you dropped of your dry cleaning
The preacher who gave that wonderful sermon on Sunday
The employer who hands out your paycheck
The employee who just got the a distinctive service award........
AND ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?
EVERY 4TH PERSON THAT YOU PASS ON THE STREET!!!!!
"NO!!", you say? You don't believe it? Do you "suffer" from depression? Take antidepressants for it? Then you are considered "mentally ill"! How do you like that label? You are one of "those people"! Yes indeed, you sure are...puts a whole new look to the issue doesn't it..... AND just for your information, antidepressants are the most prescribed drug in the US.
Did you know that in 2005 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that there were 118 million prescriptions written for antidepressants? More than for any other condition! The number is very likely doubled or tripled by now!
Think we're not in a crisis here folks? Think Again!! Think it can't happen to you? Think again!! It can happen to anyone! MENTAL ILLNESS DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE! It matters not your age, gender, or race. IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!
There are many kinds of MENTAL ILLNESS. Along with Depressive Disorders there are Bipolar and other Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders, Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Impulse Control Disorders, Drug and Alcohol related Disorders, Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and many, many more. I bet each and every one of you know someone in your life who SUFFERS from a "MENTAL ILLNESS"! I will attempt to hit on most of them in future blogs.
The stigma of the diagnosis has to be overcome, destroyed as a matter of fact! Victims should not have to suffer alone, in silence, trapped inside themselves because of the judgment of uneducated individuals. YOU CAN have a mental illness and have a stable, happy, productive life. Recovery is possible, there are countless success stories. You'll read some of them here. There is help all around you and I'll be talking about that too! There are advocates everywhere! You probably already know some of them.
Follow me as I explore, search and research this world that many people don't know exists (yep, that's your neighbor) others don't care that it exists as long as it doesn't affect them, (don't have to talk to that neighbor), and the ones that keep their blinders on and don't want to admit it exists.
In writing about this subject, I hope you'll join those of us who do care and want to make a difference. Maybe somewhere along the way, you too, will decide that in some way, no matter how big or small, whether it be with time volunteered, a donation to an organization, an opening of your mind, a change in attitude, or just a "Hello, what can I do to help you neighbor?", maybe YOU CAN "MAKE A DIFFERENCE"!
How many mentally ill people do you know?
What picture comes to mind when someone says, "Have you heard that (insert your neighbor, your friend, your relative's name here) is mentally ill? Do you picture a scene from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"? Is the image you see one of people walking around in hallways, hospital gowns barely covering their undernourished bodies? Maybe others with worn, wrinkled, baggy clothes, hair wild and greasy, eyes wide and bugging out or staring blankly? Is your vision one of the paranoid patient, hiding in a corner, repeating the same phrase over and over, spittle running down the chin? Oh come on now, admit it, to some of you, some of these images or similar ones did cross your mind! Let's take a look at the "REAL PICTURE"!
THE REAL PICTURE OF MENTAL ILLNESS SHOULD BE:
The banker who gave you your new home loan this morning
The store clerk at Wal-Mart who pleasantly rang up and bagged your order
The teacher you talked to at your child's parent teacher conference
Your personal trainer at the gym
The Dr. you consulted about whether you should have a lumpectomy or a mastectomy
The police officer who took your accident report for the fender bender
The person who delivers your mail or your packages
The mechanic who fixed your brakes this morning
The dentist who pulled your child's tooth
The CEO of the largest business in town
The delivery person who just brought that pizza
The waitress or waiter who served you lunch at the corner cafe
The attorney who helped you file that lawsuit yesterday.
The politician you vehemently campaigned for
The person at the counter where you dropped of your dry cleaning
The preacher who gave that wonderful sermon on Sunday
The employer who hands out your paycheck
The employee who just got the a distinctive service award........
AND ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?
EVERY 4TH PERSON THAT YOU PASS ON THE STREET!!!!!
"NO!!", you say? You don't believe it? Do you "suffer" from depression? Take antidepressants for it? Then you are considered "mentally ill"! How do you like that label? You are one of "those people"! Yes indeed, you sure are...puts a whole new look to the issue doesn't it..... AND just for your information, antidepressants are the most prescribed drug in the US.
Did you know that in 2005 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that there were 118 million prescriptions written for antidepressants? More than for any other condition! The number is very likely doubled or tripled by now!
Think we're not in a crisis here folks? Think Again!! Think it can't happen to you? Think again!! It can happen to anyone! MENTAL ILLNESS DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE! It matters not your age, gender, or race. IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!
There are many kinds of MENTAL ILLNESS. Along with Depressive Disorders there are Bipolar and other Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders, Disruptive Behavior Disorders, Impulse Control Disorders, Drug and Alcohol related Disorders, Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and many, many more. I bet each and every one of you know someone in your life who SUFFERS from a "MENTAL ILLNESS"! I will attempt to hit on most of them in future blogs.
The stigma of the diagnosis has to be overcome, destroyed as a matter of fact! Victims should not have to suffer alone, in silence, trapped inside themselves because of the judgment of uneducated individuals. YOU CAN have a mental illness and have a stable, happy, productive life. Recovery is possible, there are countless success stories. You'll read some of them here. There is help all around you and I'll be talking about that too! There are advocates everywhere! You probably already know some of them.
Follow me as I explore, search and research this world that many people don't know exists (yep, that's your neighbor) others don't care that it exists as long as it doesn't affect them, (don't have to talk to that neighbor), and the ones that keep their blinders on and don't want to admit it exists.
In writing about this subject, I hope you'll join those of us who do care and want to make a difference. Maybe somewhere along the way, you too, will decide that in some way, no matter how big or small, whether it be with time volunteered, a donation to an organization, an opening of your mind, a change in attitude, or just a "Hello, what can I do to help you neighbor?", maybe YOU CAN "MAKE A DIFFERENCE"!
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