It’s always sad to hear about the death of someone, whether someone you know personally or someone that you’ve never met. Whether it is due to age, sickness or by accident, it always leaves a family grieving someone they loved.
When it’s someone as well known as a celebrity and by their own hand it makes people question why someone with such fame and fortune would want or feel the need that drives them to commit suicide when they seem to have it all. With the very recent death of Robin Williams, the comments that I’ve seen all over Twitter and Facebook, both in condolence, memory and some faulting him for taking his life when he seemed to have everything.
But the truth is that mental health disorders affect everyone. It has nothing to do with how successful or how rich, how well know or how many friends you have. Mental Health disorders affect everyone – the young, old, moms, dads and children.
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As a parent of a child with a Mental Health disorder, I wonder what the future holds for her. Although she isn’t fighting depression or addiction, she has a form of anxiety called Selective Mutism. This anxiety disorder paralyzes her in some situations where she is unable to speak, move or react. Over the summer the symptoms lessen almost to the point of non-existence. But with summer more than half over, I start to think about the Fall and school starting and the anxiety that will return. The stomach aches every morning about having to go to school, not being able to talk to adults even when injured and hope every day that the symptoms will lessen. But without help it could get worse.
There are resources available but the wait lists are long. We’re currently on a waiting list that is 12-15 months long for funded cognitive behaviour therapy but mental health can’t wait. I’ve read all I can on what could help with her anxiety, tried every avenue and paid for therapy out of pocket – education is key to helping those affected by Mental Health disorders.
There is hope for Peanut and for everyone out there but WE as a society need to remove the stigma surrounding Mental Health disorders.
STAND UP!
Fight for yourself, your children, a friend or a loved one.
STAND UP!
Fight for help for everyone!
STAND UP!
Remove the stigma!
With the help of Bell and Clara Hughes, there is more awareness than I’ve ever seen for Mental Health with Bell Let’s Talk day and I for one completely support the initiative. I tell anyone and everyone about my daughter’s Mental Health disorder because I believe talking about it makes everyone more aware and helps remove the stigma surrounding Mental Health.
You can read my other posts on Mental Health here and here.
By Nancy T.