There is someone I know who has been suicidal six times in his life.
We talked at length about naming him in this column; he said he can’t risk the exposure.
And that is the problem.
He is successful, creative and has close family and friends, but he said if people knew this about him, it would come to define him.
“Yes, it is a part of my life and yes it is something I deal with, but it isn’t who I am,” he said.
People judge.
My new year’s resolution is to have more conversations around the dinner table about mental illness and how common it is.
Approximately 20 per cent of all Canadians will experience some form of mental illness in their lifetime, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
And there has always been mental illness. In the 1400s, people who suffered psychologically were thought to be possessed by demons. Perhaps that is the root of today’s stigma?
Nicole McRae of the Sea to Sky Community Services said there are plenty of resources in Squamish for people feeling suicidal. She is right; there are. But the judgment our culture still places on those with mental illness may prevent many from getting the help they need or speaking out about it when they do.
Honestly, what did you really think the last time you heard a person was depressed or had committed suicide? I know I have been guilty of thinking negatively.
Until we work at dropping the judgment – in our homes and workplaces – people will think twice before getting help or feel ashamed to speak up when they do.
For my friend, depression hits like a brain flu, dark thoughts going around and around like a broken ferris wheel. In the middle of it, death seems like the only way out of the pain, he said.
Luckily, my friend sees his doctor when he starts to feel this way. They have a plan in place that involves medication and counseling. My friend is on top of it, and thankfully, he won’t leave us. But he doesn’t want anyone to know, and that is a problem.
