bringchange2mind.org

I don’t want to be normal. To me, normal looks like the lives I see being lived all around me, and that’s not a bad thing. Maybe it’s the way that I walk, or that I stare through the floor when I’m talking to people. Maybe my being awkward comes across as shyness, or for all I know it’s the other way around.

It didn’t make me sad. It wasn’t anything fancy. It wasn’t always sunshine and roses. It would welcome me back and serve as the spring board to coming back to life.

You don’t need to turn it into an overwhelming “intervention” because just the simple gesture of connecting and physically being there for one another will have an enormous effect, right there in the moment, and also years down the road. We all know this problem needs to greatly improve, but for now, let’s focus on the little things. I’ve heard so many stories about people that are faced with a friend or family member that is struggling, and because they feel like they don’t know what to do, and fear they may do something “wrong,” they ignore it. But just by doing something small, that little thing, you and your loved ones will start on the right path and help someone else along the way.

I felt that talking about my past struggles, including my suicide attempts made me “crazy”. I remember it was a moment that made me feel slightly more empowered and when I first learned to look at the term “crazy” as something that was not dirty. Crazy in that I am enthusiastic as a healthcare provider to have a bold voice and speak at the political level to encourage that more funding be provided to mental healthcare resources. Crazy in that I fiercely use my voice to help others feel less alone and to change the discussion around mental health issues, including suicide.