Ingram-Thurston: How everyone can play their part to address mental illness

Even though the American Health Association named this month to bring awareness to — and education about — mental illness way back in 1947, the large umbrella of mental health afflictions is still shrouded in mystery.

It remains a topic that’s only whispered about in some families and circles.

Almost any other illness has more understanding than mental health. This article hopes to shed some honest light on this growing problem.

The first thing that I think will help is to understand that you probably have people around you — maybe even in your own family — who are dealing with a mental health issue.

Some may have already sought help. But some may be afraid to reach out for professional help due to fear of peer judgment.

On your street probably live people with diabetes, lung disease, heart disease or a combination of several commonly known illnesses but there may also be, unseen and misunderstood, people grappling with mental illness — and thus living in their own world of fear.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health of people of all ages. More than ever it is important to remove the stigma around mental illness because it is that stigma which often prevents people from seeking help.

This is a profound and at times deadly risk we cannot afford to take. Youth is not an exception. The CDC states that over the past decade teen age suicide has increased 76%. This is an eye opening statistic.

Many young people do not realize that the darkness they now suffer will not always be there, that better days are coming. Some of the issues that have heightened these risks are the opioid crisis, cyber bullying, technology and social media.

According to MEDLINEPLUS there are many types of mental disorders and some people suffer from a combination of them. Anxiety is the most common, and when help is sought, it is also the most treatable of mental health issues: 36% of Americans suffer from this disorder.

Other mental health disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, post traumatic stress disorder and psychotic disorders which includes schizophrenia. Facts, combined with experiences, are the best combination I know of to better understand complex issues.

For instance, my uncle was active in World War II and injured on D-Day. He endured horrible experiences that he shoved inside. That was what he and many returning soldiers felt that they were supposed to do. His nightmares, anxiety and depression was compounded over the years. One day it exploded within him, resulting in him shooting and killing my aunt.

My uncle suffered from what is now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but it was not until decades later that this disorder was identified. While in prison he was put on medication and participated in talk therapy.

While these measures gave him some control over his illness, the price he paid was way too high. My cousin Mary started to have strange symptoms as she entered her 20s. It took a couple of years before her true problem surfaced and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

She just seemed lost to all of us. It was the sixties then, and no one in my family, or really no one in society, wanted to talk about it, no less knew how to deal with the issue.

Eventually Mary was put on medications, but one of the voices in her head told her not to take her needed medications, and that we were not her family but people trying to hurt her.

Thus followed a revolving door of hospitalizations and self checkouts. Had there been better awareness and treatment at the time, both Mary and our family would have been spared much anguish.

Things today are getting better, but we need to build knowledge and services for all the future “Marys.”

My deceased husband, Ron, suffered from severe panic disorder, a form of anxiety that can feel like you’re having a coronary. Ron was on medication for the disorder from the time I met him until his death. He feared his friends would find out and think him weak, even though he was the strongest man I have ever known. Multiple factors can cause anxiety from brain activities to life events.

Some depressions and other disorders come from brain chemical disorders and new medications can be life altering. Sometimes there is a need for counseling in order to understand and cope. Learning some basic behavior skills can really help people function.

Perhaps the most deadly mental health issue is depression, with increasing numbers in our youth and senior society. In a recent issue of People Magazine, Glenn Close spoke candidly about her family’s struggle with mental illness. Sadly, many people who suffer from depression try to mask it with alcohol or drugs, their behavior hiding the deeper embedded problems.

These behaviors can lead to job loss, divorce and homelessness. I am one of so many who has lived with depression. The available process of talk therapy and working to find the right antidepressant gave me a new outlook on life. This is not to say there is any one golden ticket to banish that or any mental illness.

But people need to know that if they reach out their hand for help, a secure hand will be there for them in return. Progress has been slower than it needs to be. Insurance should cover more facilities and there should be more identification and counseling available in a child’s early in school years.

More mental health facilities need to be opened in communities so people can reach out for services. Shame should be erased from all mental health issues, and more people should be willing to listen.

This I firmly believe: mental health issues should be free from stigma, caught early, treated and understood. If I were to give a word of encouragement to my readers it is that these doors are open by conversation and only then can understanding and acceptance can begin.

For you who read this who may carry this silent passenger of mental illness, do not stay in that dark room alone. Hope awaits you outside the door or on the other end of that phone. As Margaret Ingram famously said,’‘ Nothing is so good or bad that it lasts forever.” Just reach out your hand.