Sometimes it takes the death of a celebrity, or in this case two, to bring a large problem to the minds of everyone. The deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain were horrible and tragic, but the reality is that almost 45,000 Americans die from suicide every year. It is thought that 80-90% of the people who commits suicide has a mental illness.
Patrick Corrigan writes “Serious mental illness is a two-edged sword: It challenges those affected not only with disability but also with unjust social stigma, which denies them opportunities to work, live independently, and pursue other goals”.
So the question becomes what can I do to help?
Know the symptoms, each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:
- Excessive worrying or fear
- Feeling excessively sad or low
- Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning
- Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria
- Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
- Avoiding friends and social activities
- Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
- Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy
- Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
- Changes in sex drive
- Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist in objective reality)
- Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)
- Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
- Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)
- Thinking about suicide
- Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress
- An intense fear of weight gain or concern with appearance
Don’t be afraid to reach out if you or someone you know needs help. Learning all you can about mental health is an important first step.
Contact the NAMI HelpLine to find out what services and supports are available in your community.
If you or someone you know needs helps now, you should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911.
Another thing you can do is become a Compeer volunteer. Compeer, an adjunct to therapy, is an effective intervention for people who want to live in the community to achieve a high quality of life. Compeer serves children, adults, seniors, and veterans and their families. You are “matched” with an individual who has been diagnosed with a mental illness and meet weekly for one year in safe environments using natural supports, sharing decision-making around activities, place, and time. I worked for Compeer for many years as both and employee and a volunteer. What a difference that has made in my life. I no longer fear mental illnesses. I do not shun people with mental health issues and I actively try to help those with mental illnesses live ‘normal” lives. It has also helped when people in my family have been diagnosed with a mental illness. I have a clearer understanding of their struggle and some knowledge of how to help. At Compeer, volunteering is definitely the way to make new friends! YOU can volunteer for Compeer by calling (800) 836-0475 . Or check out their website at https://compeer.org/who-we-are/
Finally for those with mental illnesses – be brave – talk to someone. Share your story, you never know perhaps it can change not only your life but someones elses.
The World According to Laura 
I think we’ve all been affected by someone’s suicide, someone in our circle of friends and family. We all go thru the same anguish, wondering why we didn’t see it coming, why we didn’t intervene and stop them. In my cases, the people I lost were good at hiding their pain, but that didn’t stave off the feelings of regret after the awful fact. And it haunts me to this day.
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