Let the families in.There is no doubt that the mental health system in North America is broken. Every day I read about some sort of tragedy that could have been prevented if someone would have just listened to concerned individuals, mainly parents.
I know firsthand that people who do well dealing with mental illness have the support of family members. When I was very ill in 1987, my parents were always there to help in my recovery. Continue reading
What do the words “Happy Days” make you think of? Is it an attitude? Is it a slogan? If you are my age, you probably remember the TV show with Ron Howard (“Richie Cunningham”), Marion Ross (“Mrs. Cunningham”), and Henry Winkler (“The Fonz”). Who can forget the ultimate coolness of Arthur Fonzarelli, the leather-clad chick magnet who lived in the apartment above the Cunningham’s garage? Continue reading
Over the weekend I watched a show on TVOntario about mental illness. Three psychiatrists were interviewed for the program about whether or not there are enough psychiatrists in North America and how prevalent mental illness is. One of the doctors turned the discussion to suicide, and mentioned that more American soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq have died from suicide than soldiers who were killed in combat. Continue reading
I would like to take this opportunity to bring to light a serious issue involving men and depression.
First of all, let me tell you that depression is very real—and dangerous. An estimated 32,000 people commit suicide every year in the United States alone, and many of those people are men and women who have struggled with depression for many years. But depression is treatable and people do not have to suffer needlessly. I went through a major depression myself, and it was the hardest thing to deal with. I suffered from chronic depression for years. With help (in the form of therapy and medication) I was able to overcome it. Continue reading
Anyone who has any experience dealing with a mental illness knows that it is not easy to cope at times. At one time, I could not cope either. I remember standing in large crowds of people and thinking to myself, “There are seven billion people in the world and they all are coping. Why can’t I? I once sat in group therapy and asked one of the people leading the group if an increasing number of people were finding it hard to cope. I did not like her answer. She told me that there was not an increase and that the statistics remain constant; I was one out of every 100 people who develop schizophrenia. Continue reading
Many of you are aware that I am a Christian and my faith is very important to me. I am a big fan of Dr. Charles Stanley from In Touch Ministries. Over the years, my faith has grown and I feel that one of the reasons is because of Dr. Stanley; he makes the scriptures come alive and his messages are very practical and thought-provoking. This past Sunday, his message really struck a chord with me, as he was talking about how God will always meet our needs. He didn’t say God will give us what we want—only that God will meet our needs. And there is a difference between needs and wants. Continue reading
