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Whether or not you realize it, you are how your brain functions. Your brain produces your personality, retains your memories, provides you with your perceptions of reality, and can inflict unbearable pain when it malfunctions producing mental illness.
Imagine being trapped in an anguished, painful world of your malfunctioning brain… thinking you are alone with your problem, thinking you are “crazy”, ashamed of yourself for not being able to fix the problem, not being able to think clearly, nor stop the unrelenting pain that begins upon waking and ends only upon sleeping… day after day… year after year. You continually think of killing yourself to make the pain stop… but you just never can quite do it.
I have seen statistics that 40% to 60% of homeless people are mentally ill. Imagine the happy and productive lives lost due to mental illness.
And then there’s society. It appalls me to hear all of the jokes made about mentally ill people. Would we make the same “jokes” about people having breast or testicular cancer… I think not! These jokes illustrate society’s “disconnect” from the horrific pain suffered by the mentally ill every day.
Who wants to admit to his or her self that they are mentally ill… let alone to a society that does not understand the biological basis of mental illnesses and the toll it takes on the sufferers.
My take on life is this… “You can handle ANYTHING in life… if your brain is functioning properly”. Take a look at the professor a year or two ago who lectured young people about life while having terminal cancer. I am sure it wasn’t all “peaches and cream” but he was able to get out of bed each day and do what he wanted to do in his last days of life!
About two weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting Elizabeth McIngvale, a brave young 24 year old lady who is the national spokesperson for the International OCD Foundation.
She has been suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) since she was 12 years old, when her normal child’s life was transformed into hell… with intrusive thoughts and rituals that took 12-18 hours of each day.
Her family sought help (against her wishes) and she is much better now, though still struggling with obsessive thoughts and rituals 3-4 hours a day. She completed a college degree at Loyola University in Chicago this past May and started the “Peace of Mind Foundation” to raise awareness of OCD and money for the International OCD Foundation find a cure.
I urge you to listen to her story in her own words at the Peace of Mind Foundation.
Be sure to listen to the other videos of the Peace of Mind Foundation.
You can learn more about OCD at the International OCD Foundation.
I have also posted six articles about mental illness. I highly recommend that you read the articles to educate yourself about mental illnesses and hopefully pass the word on to your friends. Make a difference in someone’s life who is alone and desperately needs you!
“Mental Illness and the Early Insane Asylums – A Shameful Past” discusses the tragic history and naivety about mental illness throughout the ages.
“The Plight of the Mentally Ill in Our Country” discusses how much better our society would be if our governments would provide proper health care for mentally ill people.
“Crazy in America” is about the book by the same title that “is an intense, emotionally-draining portrayal of the lost lives of mentally ill individuals within a system that failed them, a system that failed to understand their illnesses and therefore failed to effectively treat them.”
“Glossary of Symptoms and Mental Illness Affecting Teenagers” is a “must read” article for parents… and for that matter anybody… to quickly and easily learn the basic mental illnesses and their warning signs.
“How to Live With Mental Illness” is a narrative by a “functioning” mentally ill lady about her day-to-day struggles to live life as best she can.
“Therapy Helps Mentally Ill Patients, Family and Friends” discusses the types of therapy available to help mentally ill persons.
Well, I hope that you enjoyed this post and learned some things about the types of mental illnesses, the history of treatment, personal perspectives, and treatment. Please pass along the information to educate others and hopefully help a mentally ill family member, friend, or stranger.
Sincerely,
Sebastian
P.S. I encourage you to join my charity website.
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