Mental health awareness is vitally important to change the way individuals with mental illness are perceived in society. We have not come a long way from asylums and being killed. We are currently repeating a history we fought so hard to change.
It’s normal for the police to be called on an individual with mental illness and potentially be murdered. We hear it, see it, know it’s bad, but it’s a normal in our society. It should not be this way.
Individuals with mental illness and addiction are handcuffed when transported from hospitals, emergency rooms, and to doctor appointments. They say this is done when we are considered high risk. Could you imagine being mentally sick and handcuffed because law enforcement is scared of you?
I have experienced this and it’s traumatizing. It causes individuals with mental illness to decline the treatment they need to avoid situations like these.
The saddest part is individuals with mental illness would rather suffer or take their own life rather than get help. It is because of these normal practices in our society that individuals with mental illness suffer in silence.
As we wrap up mental health awareness month, remember individuals with mental illness, are more likely to harm themselves than others. This is because we battle our mental health issues inwardly. It happens but it’s rare for an individual with mental illness to harm others unless they feel threatened or are struggling to manage their illness.
Be aware of what we face, but don’t stigmatize us and live in fear. We are battling an invisible disability and trying to cope with the struggles of life like so many other invisible diseases and illnesses.
Mental Health Awareness Matters.
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Resilient Inspired Spiritual Excellence R.I.S.E. 