Mental Illness

I am sure I am not alone when I say that the news of the suicide of Robin Williams saddens me deeply. I extend my heart felt sympathies to his many friends and his family. 

I congratulate him on his previous openess about his struggles with addiction and mental illness. I am sure that many find it hard to believe that a man who had such a gift for making us laugh suffered from episodes of deep sadness and hopelessness. What boggles my mind is that there have been attacks against him and his family because his death was a suicide. 

It is obvious that many people, regardless of the many recent campaigns to inform the public about what mental illness is, still do not get it.  This is my attempt to further the understanding of mental illness and those who suffer from its many manifestations. 

Mental illness is first and foremost an illness. It is an illness that although may be the result of physical chemical imbalances in the brain its symptoms are exhibited in the mind of the individual. This an area that is very misunderstood and this perhaps is the reason so many people draw conclusions and make judgements without understanding the nature of the problem. 

One with a mental illness should be judged no more than the one who has diabetes. In fact the two have a great deal in common. Both the diabetic and the one with mental illness did not ask for this disease; they would get better and healthy if they could;  and both diseases have treatment but no cure. 

If someone with diabetes died as a result of their disease, and it does happen, was called a coward by a member of the media, I am quite sure the public uproar would be deafening and that reporter would not have a job the next day. This is not the case with mental illness and suicide. 

As is true with cancer and other life threatening diseases, one does not just have a mental illness, one BATTLES a mental illness. It is a struggle every single day to get up in the morning and face another day of the loneliness, sadness, hopelessness. And on top of that the fear of judgement from your fellow human beings. No one would dare look at someone who is struggling and battling daily with cancer with disdain. He or she would not be told "to buck up. It's no big deal." However those who are mentally ill face this hostility daily if they were to be honest about their condition. Is it any wonder that most of the mentally ill suffer in silence. 

I hope this post opens the eyes of those who pass judgement and perhaps those same people should be grateful that they do not battle an invisible and misunderstood disease.