Mental Health – No, It’s NOT Logical
Suicide isn’t rational. By that I mean, it’s impossible for those of us left behind to look at it and logically follow the thinking of the person who took their life. It doesn’t matter if it’s someone close to us or a famous celebrity. Suicide typically (always?) is a result of mental illness.
I’ve had family members in the past attempt suicide. Fortunately they were unsuccessful and then were able to get the help they need. But, what about someone like Robin Williams? Why did he kill himself? We will probably never now the real reasons. We know a little, he was noticing a mental decline. But, lots of people notice their mental decline and choose to not kill themselves.
Mental Health, Mental Illness is hard because it doesn’t show. I recently watched a show about people who committed murder and then tried to use a “innocent by reason of insanity defense.” The accused acted confused during the police interviews. They gazed around the room distractedly. They let their hands move in unnatural ways. All to try to convince the police that they were mentally ill.
The show then showed an interview with someone who was truly mentally ill. He described in detail how he planned and executed the murder. He gave specific details. In fact, during the interview he didn’t sound crazy at all. He might have been describing how to rebuild a carburetor.
Not everyone who has a mental illness will try to kill themselves or kill others, of course. Mental illness covers a wide range of conditions. Some serious, others less so.
Mental health is not that different from physical health in that respect. Someone might have a sprained ankle and someone else has a broken leg. You would treat the two differently.
Generalized anxiety is a very common mental health issue. It’s pretty much just what it sounds like. And, like most mental illness it can be treated by therapy and prescriptions.
A friend was talking about the idea of generalized anxiety.
Yeah, if the stresses in your life would just go away, you wouldn’t be anxious anymore, right?
Well, the problem is that you would then worry about what MIGHT become a stressor.
Be kind to people. You really have no idea what those around you, even your family are going through.
The pandemic has been a huge stressor and even though we are starting to come out of it, I don’t know that any of us will ever be the same again.
Stay safe
Rodney M Bliss is an author, columnist and IT Consultant. His blog updates every weekday. He lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with his lovely wife, thirteen children and grandchildren.
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