As I have shared before, I love words! I love the sound of words. I love the look of words on my walls. I love the power of words.
Sometimes, however, words paralyze me because there are just so many I could share about an event in my life and I have no idea how to narrow them down. Sometimes words just feel inadequate.
Words are inadequate for the last two days at the "Pathways to Hope" conference I attended. The conference challenged my perspective and made me realize, once again, how limited my love can be.
I love the journey God has put me on in disability ministry but it is also overwhelming at times. All I can see are my own shortcomings and lack of understanding. Currently, I am attempting to devote 20% of my time to educate myself regarding the variety of challenges people have to face. This month I chose to educate myself on mental illness. I attended the "Pathways to Hope" conference this weekend and will be taking the course, "Mental Health First Aid" on Thursday.
There are many enlightenment's to share but one of the first realizations that struck me is how differently we respond to mental health issues compared to physical health issues. When a friend is struck with a physical illness we respond with all kinds of help. We deliver meals, help with the children, and help with chores around the house. When someone is struggling with a mental health issue, we tend to back away. I believe this response is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding, as well as fear. A mental health crisis is not that different than a physical health crisis. In the midst of it we need support, understanding, help, and an extra shot of hope.
Statistically, on any given day, 1 out of 5 people will struggle with a mental health issue. Practically, that means that almost 200 of my Facebook friends are struggling today. Most likely I will never know about their struggle because there is such a great stigma placed on mental illness. They will feel alone which will only complicate their challenge.
To those that are struggling I hope you will begin to understand that you are not alone. There are many people walking this journey. Tell someone you trust and let them support you and help you get help. We all have our struggles and you never know which friend of yours may have walked this road before you did. Let them use their journey to help you.
To those that are uncomfortable supporting someone with a mental illness, I encourage you to educate yourself. Become familiar with mental illness and what you can do to support those suffering from it. Don't shy away but offer to walk the road with them...pray for them, support them, encourage them, get them help, and offer them hope.
As I learned this weekend, cancer used to be whispered about and is now out in the open. May mental illness no longer be something we whisper about.
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