We do not need a health care debate for all of us to become better aware of an illness of which most of us have little understanding.
.
.
Glenn Close…
What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation about illnesses that affect not only individuals, but their families as well. Our society ought to understand that many people with mental illness, given the right treatment, can be full participants in our society.
[...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by the year 2020 mental illness will be the second leading cause of death and disability. Every society will have to confront the issue. The question is, will we face it with open honesty or silence?
There is great probability that at some point in our lives, all of us will be touched by someone who suffers from mental illness…a family member, a friend, a coworker, a neighbor or ourselves. There is but a single means of acceptance. Understanding.
___
To receive email notifications of new posts from MarioPiperniDotCom, click on Subscribe.
.
 |
This video hit a nerve with me. I am a daughter of depression. My mother has battled depression most of my life. I am her only child. It was just the two of us, as a family. I have had to fight tooth and nail at times not to get sucked into that dark hole also. Mental illness doesn’t just affect the person with the illness, but everyone around them too. It is so frustrating when your best intentions to help a loved one is only met with resistance or basically ignored.
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by boyfromillinois: RT @mariopiperni Change a mind about mental illness. http://twurl.nl/b4sxx2...
Well….it may be off topic somewhat, but it IS a commercial. So I’ll make a feeble attempt to tie the two together.
I find this commercial by Wal Mart very touching. Just a good thought, good feeling kind of presentation. I was very surprised to read the hateful, vitriolic comments from viewers. Nothing “bad” about this effort crossed my mind. (Maybe I’ve been participating here so long the naivete is starting to rub off on me?
) Anyway, I’m sure most of you have seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9lkmd-mMJ0
Then I go and look at the comments on this commercial for understanding of the difficulties of Mental Illnesses, and see not one disparaging word. (Good thing I might add.)
My, my…but we do pick our battles.
My son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 11, and developed schizoaffective disorder at age 18. With the dual diagnosis he became unable to manage his very brittle diabetes. We lived a hell on earth for many years and he had many commitments (one that lasted ten years), but they finally found the right combination of meds for him. Now 40 yrs old, he is out of the hospital and doing very well. He fathered a son, who is now 13, that we have raised from a baby.
The point here is don’t give up! We have come to a comfortable place with all of this suffering — our grandson has brought a lot of love to our lives, and our son is doing better now than we ever imagined he could. The mentally ill need our support and understanding — we give it to those stricken with other diseases and this illness should be no different.
THIS DOES NOT EVEN TOUCH THE MAGNITUTE OF THE ISSUE. BUT THANKS MARIO. IT IS THE BEGINNING.
Yes I am with you and will support anything that you start to boost this country’s awareness of mental illness.
When my government gives my disabled son less than $700 to live and expects him to survive on that amount and then spends outrageous amounts of money in the war, then, and only then is when I believe in Hitler’s “Germany above all” statement. We need to be Americans first, take care of our own, and then move on and help other countries.