I had a Five Friday Favorites post ready for today but I just wasn’t feeling it this week.
In light of the death of Robin Williams, I want to write about mental illness.
Obviously this is a hot topic this week. There’s been an out pouring of support which shows people can come together and be caring creatures in times of need. However, there has also been, what I think, is a ridiculous amount of backlash and criticism. I DO NOT believe it is ok to judge those who are mentally ill. It is NOT OK to make light of the situation and say those who commit suicide are selfish. It is WRONG to then harass family members who have lost a loved one to suicide. I am sure you know Robin Williams’ daughter, Zelda, has chosen to leave social media after receiving harassing messages and photos. Why would some people choose to punish a person who is grieving. I’ll never understand.
Mental illness is a disease. No one chooses to have a mental illness, it is not something that can be prevented. Mental illness does not care about your gender, race, age, income, nationality, height, or weight.
Suicide is not a selfish decision. It is a desperate decision made by a person who is severely ill and I wish more people would learn that.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 61.5 million adults in the U.S. have suffered with mental illness in any one year. Suicide is 10th on the list of causes of death in the U.S.
So don’t you think it’s time more awareness is brought to this disease, because I do. Not everyone is “crazy” or needs to “snap out of their funk”. Maybe that person can’t just “get over it” without some help.
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