Finally! Suicide and suicide risk, along with what we refer to at the moment as mental illness, will begin to be discussed openly and freely!
Why did it have to come at such a cost? Such a COST! Other than losing any one of a small handful of people in my life, I can't imagine feeling so incredibly sad, and angry! What we've lost in Robin Williams can never be replaced. I can't imagine another celebrity that would bring the entire world not only to their knees in utter agony over the loss of a truly unique and beloved person, but at the same time to so 'loudly' and painfully open our eyes to the pain and hidden shame that can lie just beneath the surface of another...and many refuse to see or talk about it. Even up until a couple of days ago the discussion of any form of depression (Particularily manic depression/bipolar as I suspect this was one of Robin Williams demons) or suicide was still hush hush, and due to the adoration of Robin from literally THE WORLD AROUND, it will now take Centre stage, as Robin would truly want. Is it going to take such truly tragic events for the people of this world to get their acts together and get off their high horses and deal with ALL the good and bad that make us human? It's time! Be open, free to be there for another. Without judgement. Just you. That's all that's needed. Anything more, which may sometimes include your thoughts and words, may only cause more burden. It's only HARD to talk about and/or deal with if we choose for it to be that way. Society has such a stigma on anything mental illness related or 'thought to be' just because the medical world can't come up with an explanation.
It's time! Time for humanity to say enough is enough! This old, utterly destructive way of thinking and behaving toward others just because -
you don't understand;
and/or it makes you feel 'embarrassed' or uncomfortable;
or you think you feel shame because you're afraid that what you perceive to be wrong with another will reflect badly on you;
or you think they've somehow 'earned' being 'where they're at';
or it must be in my head because there's no way THEY could have THAT kind of problem..
along with a myriad of total and blatant nonsense thinking has got to stop! It's true weakness on your (people in general) part when you choose to turn your back. Absolute, unbelievable and blatant weakness. Feeling guilt and shame can be such harmful feelings, but they do have their place and they do serve a purpose. We all need to feel a healthy level of our God given 'feeling features' that God has truly blessed us with, as a guide to help us adjust our thoughts, attitudes, and actions so that we may serve and help others, including ourselves, in more effectual ways. Now Robin Williams is about to prove to the world just how truly foolish society's attitude certainly is, because that's all it really is - bad attitude.
Our world is willingly waking up to many things, which makes the awakening process much more pleasant and enjoyable. But we're being awakened to ALL that needs changing and if we try to shove anything under the carpet, the awakening experience can be profoundly painful. Thus, our grieving over Robin Williams!
Some are only noticing the same old reports each day about this event, wishing people would 'just get over it', 'it's a suicide, it happens every day'. And this is part of my point. It is suicide and once depression takes the leap of suicide, you can't 'make it better' - it's too late. For me, in the case of Robin Williams, the cost was just too high.. The fact is, the cost is always too high. Robin's legacy will teach us ALL that, whether we think we want to know or not. It's time to know, understand, and dig deep into those hidden away pockets of compassion that we all carry and are all too often guilty of keeping to ourselves.
Find your COMpassion and and LIVE IT! Start sharing it to and with your loved ones, first and foremost! If you feel uncomfortable, that just means you haven't practiced it enough, therefore, work hard. No FEAR! There's no room for fear on this earth anymore! Burn your cynical baggage! Those archaic attitudes of metal illness need to be gone. Let's make them gone, by choice.
Love IS all there is. Get out there and prove it! It's an amazingly loving and beautiful world out there. Spread it around even more.
May blessings of abundance in all that comes from truth and goodness find their way to you!
Living Your COMpassion - Part 2
I'd like to provide a link to a blog/comic strip about depression that was shared with me. I felt it was just excellent and that it needs to get 'out there' somehow, so I'm going to do my little part in making that happen.
Part 1: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.ca/2011/10/adventures-in-depression.html
Part 2: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhyperboleandahalf.blogspot.ca%2F2013%2F05%2Fdepression-part-two.html&h=VAQFdW3cM
Her 'Jumanji' reference couldn't be more appropriate! ..This is excellent! I can relate to all except the having no reason to be depressed. I KNEW I had tons of reasons to be depressed. I felt responsible for everyone and everything! I couldn't get past what my children were (and had been) going through, due to my illness(s) alone, let alone other crap throughout their lives that I'd not been able to protect them from. The feeling of responsibility was overwhelming and I couldn't believe that I'd allowed ANY of it to happen to them (as if I could help most of it anyway!). It took a new medication, which has given me my life back, to help me, first of all - realize I HAD been so gravely depressed, and secondly, to get out of my terrible depth of depression that I now realized I had been in for so very long. It took coming out of it to realize just how bad that depression was, that I didn't even think I had!! I was so concerned with being sick and trying to figure out how to be who I wanted and needed to be, that I couldn't see that I wasn't capable of truly being anything my children (or husband, who I love SO dearly) needed. My kids had to take care of me, and I hated that....no, I LOATHED THAT!. My illnesses had totally disabled me at a point where I felt my children needed me most.(not accepting that they needed me 'most' at all points in their lives). What they have gone through due to my depression was unbearable. What was happening all around me was unbearable for me, and I now realize how extremely BITTER I was over my 'self'....but I was trying not to 'think of myself', when that's really "ALL" I should have been thinking of. Depression is horrid!! It not only can destroy your own life, it will ultimately destroy or at least wreak havoc on the lives of all those closest to you, and ultimately quite potentially set them up for depression also. I thought I had my depression under control. Now I know. To learn self-love is to give love. To sacrifice your own 'needs' is not love. That's selfish and dysfunctional. I shudder to think about how much worse things could have become if it hadn't been for my Doctor deciding to change one of my medications. It wasn't even supposedly related to my Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia/Meniere's Disease. It was for ADHD! He felt I should try something new. Turns out I was the first person he prescribed it to. Since DAY 1 I haven't looked back. I still have pain, I still have down times (physically), but it addressed the Chronic Fatigue! - a truly blessed bonus!! Thank you, God. My endless Gratitude!! Even if this medication is short lived as many turn out to be, what I've learned from this experience has changed and blessed my and my family's life forever. Intense, indescribable fatigue, with seemingly no reason whatsoever, is immensely difficult to cope with. I've recently had a couple of occasions where I've gotten reminders of it, and the battle is great...trying to fight the anger and feeling of helplessness that almost immediately wants to enter my body and mind. "For me:", I know, that it is only by the Grace of God that I am able to cope and rise above the negative-ness that wants to overwhelm me when 'less than desirable' days occur. If you suffer from ANY level of depression - even just the odd 'sad' day or episode, do the world a favour - but first and foremost do YOURSELF a favour....do whatever it takes to help yourself through it. Immediate action is so important. I came to recognize that I've suffered depression since childhood. I'm now 51! But it's never ever too late, and as soon as you see that you need a change, change will happen. The 'Universe' truly is an opportunist!! Make use of that, and be patient. I have to say, I would never suggest anti-depressants, or actually ANY one thing. That's part of your journey and discovery. Just take that first step, any step toward bringing yourself back to you, and realizing an amazing level of 'wholeness' (which is not to be mistaken for perfection which is, to me, a negative). It truly is possible. Turn to someone....anyone you are drawn to. There's someone/something out there that will work for you. Take care of and LOVE YOU! You truly are worth it!!
May blessings of abundance in all that comes from truth and goodness find their way to you!
