Silent Awareness

You might not have realized it, but May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s interesting, because for a lot of other “Awareness” months, you see it everywhere. People change their social media profiles; professional sports teams change their uniforms; people hold fundraisers and awareness dinners. And yet, for mental health, there’s nothing. We continue to hide it, to sweep it under the rug. I guarantee you someone you know, someone you love, is struggling with mental health issues or “mental illness” and you have no idea. Whether it be depression, anxiety, mood disorder, suicidal thoughts or ideologies, PTSD…the list goes on and it is more common than you think.

Many of us can name someone we know who has been affected directly by suicide. I remember when I was younger, suicide was rare. It was something you read about in a book or maybe saw featured in an after school special. It was always tragic in those scenarios, but we were somewhat sheltered from it knowing that we could change the channel or turn the page. Now, we see suicide everyday. Now, it’s difficult to find someone who hasn’t been affected by suicide. And yet, we still don’t talk about it. We still don’t try to help those who are struggling. Instead, we tell people that it’s all in their head. To “snap out of it”. To be thankful because someone else has it worse and would be lucky to have our struggles.

The picture of mental illness for the general public continues to be what Hollywood showed us in movies like One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Girl, Interrupted…of a person rocking back and forth and humming to themselves in a corner, someone who can’t function, someone “crazy”. But that isn’t accurate. The top executive at a financial firm. The high school valedictorian. The young man holding the door for you at the grocery store. The soldier who fought for our country and our safety. They are the picture of mental illness. It’s your sister, your brother, your girlfriend, your father. You can’t see depression. You can’t see a mood disorder. You can’t see someone who is struggling everyday just to get through when their mind is tearing them down with each step.

You can’t see us. But you can help us. Be kind to each other. Smile. Take notice of others around you and say hello to a stranger when you pass them or open a door for them. Sometimes that smile and that simple act of common courtesy that we’ve somehow forgotten in our busy lives is all it takes to make someone’s day and push them forward in their fight.

It takes a lot of courage and a lot of strength to fight against mental illness. Often, those of us struggling are afraid to reach out and ask for support because of the response we receive. Mental health is misunderstood. The general public is afraid of it because there are a lot of unknowns. So those who struggle hide. We fight alone so as not to burden those around us. We fight in silence and in fear of how we will be looked at or judged. We fight everyday to get out of bed and put a smile on our face and pretend. If someone struggling trusts you enough to open up and confide in you, to share with you their struggle and to admit they need help, don’t dismiss their comments. Don’t brush it off as a “bad day”. Listen. Hug them. Support them. Understand that it possibly took every last ounce of courage for them to finally speak out and ask for help.

Mental illness is a very lonely struggle, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re feeling alone and are struggling, know that there are people who love you. Know that there are people who have been there and are fighting right alongside of you. Mental health is a lifelong battle; there is no cure. But it does get easier. It ebbs and flows. There are good days and bad days. Just because today is a bad day, doesn’t mean that tomorrow won’t be the best day you’ve ever had.

One day, I hope that we’ll be able to have open dialogues about mental health and the struggles and successes of those who have fought and are fighting their disease. I hope we can discuss depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia the way we discuss the flu or heart disease or cancer. Until then, maybe we can take a few steps towards acceptance.

Smile and say hi to a stranger. Call your friends that you haven’t seen in awhile and tell them you miss them. Love one another, unconditionally. You never know who you might inspire to fight another day.