Mental Illness Does Not Discriminate

Last night former Congressman, Patrick Kennedy, opened up to CNN’s Piers Morgan about his own struggle with addiction, bipolar disorder, and depression.

The famous last name has been around for years and I have yet to meet a person who can’t name at least one Kennedy, but just because a name may be famous or a person may be successful does not mean that they can’t struggle with the same illnesses or problems that many of us do. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate due to a name or a status in the society.

Kennedy told Piers Morgan that he is willing to talk openly about his own battle with mental illness in hopes to break the stigma that surrounds this subject. His story goes to prove that opening up to one person may change the life of another, “I spoke openly about it, because I knew that that’s what my constituents wanted, and that’s what they were anxious to hear. And in fact, many of them started talking to me about their own sets of challenges that they felt ashamed about,” Kennedy told Piers Morgan.

Someone as famous as a Kennedy could get a lot of negative press from opening up about such struggles, but it seems that that aspect was never a worry to him; he will share his story and open up about his past if it can help others and work to break this stigma around mental illness.

Talking about mental illnesses or even sharing a personal story could make a world of difference in someone else’s life. It’s time we all start talking about this more openly.

New Campaign Takes a Humorous Approach

Image from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/09/business/media/a-humorous-approach-to-grim-issue-of-suicide-prevention.html

Advertising can be a difficult issue when it comes to touchy subjects. The advertiser doesn’t want to encourage a certain behavior but scare tactics don’t always work well either. A new campaign for men ages 25 to 64 takes on the subject of mental health and suicide in a much different way than has ever been done before.

The campaign is based out of Colorado,which has the sixth highest suicide rate in the country, and tries to take a lighthearted approach to this serious subject. The campaign created a website for men to go to where they come face-to-face with Dr. Rich Mahogany. Dr. Mahogany, who reminds me of Will Ferrell’s character in Anchorman, is the man behind the serious information but he is also able to bring humor to the issue through his slightly crude language and manly jokes.

The website is completely interactive with Dr. Mahogany following the “patient” around his office and helping them explore. When the mouse is idle, so is the doctor while he simply sits in his chair staring at you through the computer screen, waiting for the user to make their next move.

The chief exectutive of Cactus, Joseph Conrad, explained to the New York Times the hardships men with mental illness struggle with, “the stigma around mental health for men is even greater than it is for the general population. We thought humor would really crack that stigma and draw men in.”

Cactus, the Colorado Office for Suicide Prevention, and the Carson J. Spencer Foundation, the companies behind the campaign, will launch a video statewide on July 17th and it also plans to promote the website and Dr. Mahogany through drink coasters, restroom posters, and billboards.

Although I was skeptical about the campaign when I first read about it, after looking into the website and watching the videos, it seems like this campaign might actually have a positive effect. Right now, there isn’t much information targetting this specific group, so if humor does the trick, more power to them.

 

Putting the World on Hold

One year. 365 days. I never knew it was possible for time to stand still but speed by at the same time. I’ll never forget the day that my boyfriend explained to me what déjà vu was. We lived in San Diego at the time and we were headed to the movies. I was telling him that I was having déjà vu and felt as though I’d been there before, he just looked at me and laughed and told me “déjà vu is just one half of your brain catching up with the other.” That was three years ago and to this day I’m not sure if that’s true or not, I just know that right now I wish both sides of my brain were at the same place. It’s as though part of me is stuck in the same place I was a year ago…it’s hard to accept the fact that someone has died, but this time it is even harder for me. When I was in high school two of my friends were killed in car accidents and I thought that was the worst kind of pain and heartbreak I could ever experience. Until I lost Luke. I not only had to mourn the death of my boyfriend but I had to mourn the loss of my best friend, our relationship, and the future we had planned.

I’m a writer by nature and that is the only way I know how to get through good or bad experiences. I write…it’s just what I do. I was reading through the many pages I wrote at this time last year about what I was going through. At one point I was trying to write everything about him that I could remember. I was terrified I was going to forget what his smile looked like or how his voice sounded or the way his touch felt when we were holding hands. It’s a year later and I know those are things I’ll never forget. I did come across this, though, in the many things I wrote after his death.

“I always told you how you were such an inspiration for my writing and you would reply with ‘well, I’m just glad I can be helpful in some sort of way to you’. You’ll never know how much of an inspiration you were to me. The highs, the lows, the in-betweens…everything helped me.”

One year ago today I lost one of the most important people in my life and I struggle every single day. But I share my story and his story in hopes that I can make a difference in just one person’s life. I’ve shared my story, will you?

I Won’t Give Up

Image from Justin Ruhl via http://jasonmraz.com/photos/

Over the span of this past year, I’ve done a lot of reading and researching on depression and suicide. Each time I sit down to read about or listen to someone else’s personal experience, I can’t help but be moved by it.

A few weeks ago I came across a video of Jason Mraz explaining the meaning behind one of his most recent popular songs, “I Won’t Give Up”. Whether you’re a fan of Jason Mraz and his music or not, the explanation behind his song is beautiful. It’s a reminder that even the most successful humans can be touched by doubt, depression, and hardships. As he says in his video “we’re only human”.

Take a few minutes out of your day to listen to someone else’s story. Open up. And remember…you’re not alone.

 

Daily Reminder

“I’m here.  I love you.  I don’t care if you need to stay up crying all night long, I will stay with you.  There’s nothing you can ever do to lose my love.  I will protect you until you die, and after your death I will still protect you. I am stronger than Depression and I am braver than Loneliness and nothing will ever exhaust me.” — Elizabeth Gilbert

My Side of the Story

A couple month’s ago I helped out a friend for a project and explained the reason behind why I write and advocate for suicide and depression. Here’s my story.

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Never Not Broken

Image from http://imgfave.com/view/585440

Last week I was having a particularly tough time dealing with many different life issues. My roommate then came to me with an article that she reads when she is feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Upon reading this article, I began to cry because I could connect so well with what the author was saying.

Although I’ve never really followed mythology before, I found myself connecting with the goddess that the author was talking about. The Hindu goddess that is mentioned is, Akhilandeshvari, and her name essentially breaks down into meaning “never not broken”. As I continued reading I began thinking about the people I know who have struggled with depression, mental illness, or life tragedies that leave them feeling alone and beyond repair. Almost everyone can connect with feeling broken at some point; being so hurt that you just want to lay in a ball on your bedroom floor and never get up.

This article pointed out that it is in these moments that you become strong. If everything in your life had always been perfect, you would never learn any valuable life lessons. I’m sure there are many life events we all wish we could bypass or never have to experience, but the truth is that we learn more about who we are as a person during these times.

I encourage you to read the article and I hope it gives you the sense of hope and peace that it gave me.

Understanding the Depth and Despair

As I was reading an article in Psychology Today, I was faced with a question that I hadn’t really ever thought of fully. The question posed was, “how do we help suicidal people fight against the despair and hopelessness that make them want to reject life?”

I realized that I’ve spent so much time trying to get the word out about breaking the stigma of suicide and depression, that I hadn’t really thought much about how I would handle a situation if faced with a suicidal person. I’ve had conversations with many people regarding being left behind after suicide, dealing with depression or other mental illnesses, but the article talked about what one might say in a situation where they were speaking with a suicidal person.

One of the things that caught my attention about this article was the fact that so many times people want to just tell the other person that it gets better and there’s so much to live for, but the answers aren’t always that simple. Especially for a person who already feels alone and lost in the world, hearing someone say, “it’s not that bad”, or “there’s so much to live for”, can only push them further into their emptiness and despair.

Another point the article made was that often times people are afraid to talk about suicide with a person who is struggling with depression or some other mental illness because they think it may push them over the edge. However, the truth is that if we aren’t willing to talk about it at that moment, we may not have the chance to talk about it in the future.

The article later goes on to explain what suicide is and why many people feel it’s the right choice for them to make. I enjoyed reading this because it gives insight into understanding why a person is feeling the suicidal thoughts they are experiencing and how to go about opening up and speaking with them about those thoughts.

Image from http://ken-foundation-awareness.blogspot.com/p/stop-suicide.html

Social Media Uses Chat in a New Way

Facebook,Twitter, and Tumblr have become many people’s sources of reaching out to others, discovering themselves, as well as becoming a news source. Today, as I was searching through my Facebook I came across the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Facebook page. As I was reading up on them and searching through their posts I found something interesting.

Not only can people struggling with suicidal thoughts find a phone line where they can talk, but now these people can speak to a counselor via Facebook chat. Some people may be skeptical as to whether these people who may be struggling should be finding their help hiding behind a screen, I think it’s great that there is yet another outlet for people. For those suffering from suicidal thoughts or mental illness, sometimes reaching out at all is very hard. Now, those who may be thinking about talking to someone but are still a bit unsure can sit down and talk out their problems with a professional.

If you or a friend is struggling with suicidal thoughts, I urge you to call the lifeline (1-800-273-8255) or visit their Facebook Page

Can Caffeine Help Prevent Mental Illness?

As I was running the other day, I was paging through a health magazine; as soon as I saw the words caffeine, I knew I had to read more. The article told me that a study had proven that drinking coffee could help prevent depression. After reading this I thought I would look more into it, and here it is.

A study done at the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who drank coffee (or had an intake of caffeine) were less likely to develop mental illness. The study went on to explain that caffeine is meant to lift mood which can help deter people away from their feelings of depression. However, although the study focused strictly on women, there are others out there who still are on the fence about caffeine intake and its correlation with depression.

The statistics and subject are very intriguing to me and for someone like myself who enjoys my cup of joe in the morning, I would like to see some more facts framing this subject in a positive light.