It's 3:45am. Both children have woken me up tonight, right after the other. And, thus, I'm wide awake. In light of the passing of Robin Williams I feel like I must say something while mental health is the buzz right now.
*if you are in a sensitive spot right now, perhaps this isn't the best thing to read. Take care of yourself. Know I care for you.*
I don't understand why it takes a tragedy such as this for people to be comfortable talking about depression, suicide, and mental health in general. I have heard many people saying how can someone so funny, someone with so much money, someone with such great things can be so sad about life to take his life. Well that's the thing about depression, it ravishes it's victims no matter who you are and what you "should" be feeling. It's not something you can just turn on or off, because if it was I'm sure everyone would have it on the off switch. Ain't nobody got time for that.
But I digress on what I wanted to say. We need to be open about mental illness. It can't be something we only talk about when someone does something newsworthy. People fight it every day. And that is a triumph worth mentioning. Perhaps if, as a society, we were more open about it people wouldn't suffer alone and take the same path as Robin. Perhaps, one more person would seek help because they weren't afraid. Perhaps, one more person would choose life. Choose hope. Hope that today-this moment- might truly suck, but tomorrow will be better. Because it does get better. I know living with a brain you don't feel like you have any control of is an awful thing. But, I also know that saying I used to be in a dark place, but now there is a glimmer of light in the future is one of the best feelings. Then that glimmer gets brighter and brighter. And it will, I guarantee it. It might not today, or tomorrow, but it will. That's the hope you must hold onto.
And so what can we do? Talk. Talk. Talk. Let people know you care about them. Don't be afraid to say depression, suicide, bipolar, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, addiction, schizophrenia. The more you are willing to talk about it, the more the next person will be. Call up someone who has been having a hard time and let them know you care. You might not understand what they are going through, but you do understand the importance of having someone on their side. If you currently struggle, talk to your doctor. There are lots of help available to you if you ask. You will have a harder time feeling better without any help. And hopefully by doing this we all can make someone's journey lighter.
