Hello very sad, upset, and frustrated people. Our nation has seen quite a week of sorrow and we are all looking for someone to blame. I’m sorry to be the messenger however it’s every-single-one-of-us!

Nobold today, gotta read this one all the way through.

There are many things tragedies like these have in common, but the one that sticks out the most is the silent call for help from this ugly thing we call mental illness. The name itself leads to stigma first of all. We call heart disease just that, and diabetes well that but we call emotional suffering “mental illness”. We say “it’s all in your head.” Like it’s as make believe as pixie dust. But it’s not! People they can see what is inside the head of trauma victims, depressed people, and how anxiety looks on an MRI. It’s as much in our heads as a brain tumor or concussion!

Now that we understand what it is, we need to stop talking about it in hushed tones and whispers. I have anxiety and the people around me know and understand it because I have explained it to them. They know how and when to help me because they are brave enough to take time to learn about it. YOU! Yes, YOU, reading this need to be the same way. That way these people will not feel the need or be able to hide. Everyone around them will look at them the way you do the person is actively getting a sunburn. Most people would say “Hey did you put something on that, it looks kinda red. I have some sunscreen if you need it.” Only it would go like like this, “You’ve been looking a little down lately, how are you managing, how can I help?” It’s really is no more strange if you look at it without the stigma. We are all capable of getting a sunburn and we are all capable of needing emotional support, even professionally, at some point in our lives. It’s so common there are times in ones life that have been pinpointed as problematic by studies done on humans for years. We call it an adjustment and sometimes it’s really hard!

For sake of everyone’s lives! STOP WHISPERING! Just ask someone because you could be the game changer for someone. You could be the support they needed to not pick up that gun, you could be the reason they decided to go the doctor and not school that day, you could be the person they call to rethink things instead of ending another’s life! Be the one to help or call for help. Maybe, just maybe, if we all do this we’ll find ourselves being a little more compassionate, a little more open, and a little more alive.