So, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Because this is a sensitive subject for me, I thought writing this post would help those understand the difference between losing someone to an illness; then losing someone to a murder committed by someone who was mentally ill.
Mental Health Month
Since 1949, May has been the month for mental health awareness. When you think about your health, you cannot just focus on your heart, joints, liver and lungs. First and foremost, it is important to think about our minds and emotional health. While most of us focus so much on the physical part of our health; I’m asking everyone to think about mental illness.
For most of us, we associate mental health with anxiety and depression. Since most of these are common, they are also treatable by meditation, reducing stress, exercise and medication. But, how many individuals are bipolar? You can take the bipolar screening test. Furthermore, it is recommended that you share these results with a physician or mental health professional.
Your Relationship to Mental Illness
There are so many different types of emotional and mental health illnesses. Because 1 out of 5 Americans is impacted by some type of mental health issue; people need to seek help and treatment. No doubt, there are a lot of people close to us who have mental health issues. As most of you know my Sister was murdered by her estranged husband. Regrettably, he ignored everyone urging him to check into a facility for his mental health issues. So, not only did I lose a Sister, but two young boys lost a mother. Be sure to read my post on losing Edie.
Of course, many individuals cannot fathom what I experienced in my family life. Indeed, I’ve had many individuals close to me not understand the complexities of a loss of a life from a murder.
Indeed, people are embarrassed to admit they have a problem. Consequently, this leads to murder and suicide. So many people have family or close friends who have bi-polar and schizophrenic personality disorders. And, of course many of these individuals don’t realize they have a problem.
How many people do you know who suddenly flip out when you’re having a regular conversation over something small? If you know anyone who you recognize has unpredictable behavior patterns, encourage them to seek professional help. Additionally, for people who refuse to get help, you may have no choice but to cut ties with them.
As I write this post; I still experience sadness every day since I lost Edie. In summary, please encourage anyone you know who has emotional health issues to seek treatment right away.
As always, I welcome your comments.
I am so sorry to hear about your sisters passing. As a mental health blogger, I very much appreciate you being able to share your story and promote awareness for mental health because our mental health it should be as important as our physical and overall health but is often times pushed to the side. There are many sources of support to reach out to including a doctor or helplines to get started, or by doing some research online through blogs or mental health websites.
Heather, Thanks for taking the time to read my blog post as I never thought this was something that I would personally experience until my Sister was murdered. Many associate mental health issues with a stigma and are afraid to admit they have a problem. Your recommendations on anyone going through any type of emotional or mental health issues are excellent and I hope more individuals heed this advice.
Best,
Lynne