For those of you keeping track, I know I promised you gingerbread and gingerbread you will get by the end of today! A promise is a promise. But on Day 5 of Mental Illness Awareness Week (learn more at http://www.miaw.ca/) I`d like to talk about the importance of reaching out – both reaching out to help and reaching out for help.
So far, and I agree it`s early days yet, the hardest part of writing a blog isn`t the writing or the cooking, it`s the taking of the pictures. When my second food post, Dad`s Harvest Vegetable Chowder, published with, ahem, slightly fuzzy photos, my dear son, the Blog Captain, very gently asked, `Have you got the camera on Manual Focus, instead of Auto Focus?`. Aha! But what`s my point of talking about photos when this post is supposed to be about Reaching Out – well, these are the beautiful and brave Japanese Anemones in my garden which, despite a plummet in temperature, down to 3.5 degrees Celsius this morning, are still reaching out! Bravo Anemones!
This blog shares my story and my experience with mental illness. I am neither an expert nor a medical professional, but I want to do what I can to reduce stigma as well as to offer hope to others with mental illness. If you think you are mentally ill and need help, then I urge you to reach out for help. There are many options – family and friends, your doctor, your Employee Assistance Program, and community resources like the Canadian Mental Health Association (http://www.cmha.ca).
I`m not a doctor and I don`t play one on TV – my thoughts on mental illness are based on my own experience and everyone`s journey will be different. If you or someone you know needs help, please get help or help them get help.
But here`s what I learned while suffering from depression – it was helpful to me to realize that I hadn`t caused this nor could I `just get over it`. News flash – your brain is an organ, just like your heart, your kidneys, your pancreas, etcetera. And like any organ or other part of your body, it can become diseased. I hadn`t become depressed a)on purpose, b)to get time off work, or c)because I was lazy. My brain got sick and could get better, with the right treatment. That really helped me as I overcame my own and others` stigmas and attitudes towards mental illness. I was very lucky and can`t stress that enough; my great doctor, my insightful and patient counsellor, my loving friends and family reached out to me and with professional care I got better.
So, what`s the point. Well the point is, being mentally ill is very lonely. If you`re usually at home during the day, you may not be able to participate in your typical activities. If you normally work, you may be off and not used to being at home all day. You may be back at work and your colleagues are giving you a wide berth, maybe with the best of intentions, thinking you `don`t want to talk about it` or just want to be left alone. And you may not want to talk about it- that`s okay. But I hope for you that someone will reach out and say, `You know, I don`t know what you`re going through, but you seem to be having a tough time and I just wanted you to know that if I can do anything to help, I`d like to`. Or try this: You seem to be having a tough time right now, I don`t really know what to say, but just want you to know I`m thinking about you. If you have that opportunity to reach out and help someone, please take it even though you may be uncomfortable – it may just be the comforting touch someone needs.
At the risk of being corny, I`m reminded of the words of a great Supremes song (look it up youngsters!): Reach out and touch somebody`s hand, make this world a better place if you can. Take good care!