I love this lady, i know some of the pain her and her family are going through. She's so brave to write this blog and i agree with everything she says. I'm tired of people thinking mental illness is something you can just give yourself a shake from, it's not. It's an ILLNESS!
Awareness is poor, this has to change.
Mental illness is deadly and shouldn't be swept under the carpet any longer. No-one would choose to suffer from mental illness just as no-one asks for cancer/heart disease/strokes/addictions etc I've suffered since my teens and still feel sometimes no-one understands and am told that if i just think positive everything will be fine. It won't be. You know why? Because no matter how positive i am one day, the next day my brain might be trying to kill me. I don't get any say in the matter. I have no idea what i'm going to wake up like or if i even want to wake up at all.
You tell me you haven't ever thought of suicide?
Even for the briefest time?
Of course you have, most people do at some point in their lives so why don't we talk about it?
Maybe because you got through it ok, it was a passing phase, you gave yourself a shake? So it can't really be all that serious surely? Wrong. For some people it's not a passing phase, it's a riptide with a current pulling at you relentlessly until you go under. It's God's will whether you come back up or not. Thankfully Kim's son was found in time and because she's so strong and her family is strong he'll find the strength too and I hope to God this was a one-time attempt and that he can learn to manage his illness and lead a good life and get through those toughest of days when you're in the darkest of places and there is no light, no voice, nothing can touch you except that part of your brain that wants to kill you. It's such a struggle, so exhausting. But he's not alone and that's the important part. He has people who understand what he's going through and they're supporting him and talking to him and showing him that it can be done. He'll still have those toughest of days though and those, those, i don't really have the words to convey properly how terrible they are.
So can we please start talking about it? Let's not sweep things under the carpet anymore shall we? Let's make it easier for people to ask for support or time-out, lets not make people feel like they have to hide it. Mental illness is not something to be ashamed about or apologise for, I can't tell you how many apologies I make for being ill. No more. If you are embarrassed when i talk about my illness (and most of you know i'm really open and actually quite blase about it) If you don't want to recognise that I have this illness, then you are denying knowing the real me, and I'm told i can be pretty awesome at times. I know Kim's awesome and so are many of my other friends I've met (mostly online) that are dealing with mental illness and i can guarantee Kim's son is awesome too, he has to be, he shares her genes.
If anyone out there actually reads this and recognises themselves in it, please, seek help, from me, from Kim, from the NHS if you want, there are so many people that can help, you don't have to suffer in silence, you shouldn't have to suffer in silence. There are too many precious lives lost and damaged because it's not taken seriously.
I will take you seriously.
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