An Assist Part 2 

So after I wrote the first blog “An Assist”, I thought to myself there’s more to this. There’s more than just expecting that everybody needs help to get through this life.

So I started to process my thoughts and theories.  My thought process started off with, the rate of suicide increasing significantly in the North American culture. And I came to the realization that WE are confusing our Society, ROYALLY.     On one hand, we are saying that we need to bring mental health awareness to the surface.  There should be no taboos and we should discuss it as we discuss all common topics.    BUT on the other hand, we also fool Society and ourselves into thinking that individuals are stronger for not sharing their mental anguish.   Asking for help is a sign of weakness.  Talking about your struggles, and your mental health is a Debbie Downer.   It’s negative and no one wants to hear about your shit, they have their own shit to deal with.     We then create these Instagram fairy tale lives, never really showing the struggles.  The real struggles EVERYONE is experiencing.

However, if you talk about anxiety; a natural emotion to many situations like a car accident, lack of funds, child illness, or waiting for serious medical test results, “WE” label this as an anxiety disorder or a significant mental health issue.   Anxiety is also a response to a situation, an emotion.  If I lost my wallet and have no money… you damn right, I’m going to be anxious!   How the hell am I going to pay for shit? What if my gas tank is at 1\4 tank and I still have to travel home?   Of course, I am going to be anxious.  This isn’t a nice situation! … This shit isn’t comfy!  But instead, Imma post it on Instagram cause I look damn sexy in my car!!… But I won’t talk about how I’m freaking out inside because I have no money, no credit cards, and some fucker is probably using them!  I won’t talk about the many calls I have to make to ensure I report everything.  I won’t talk about the fear of trying to obtain all of my ID with very little ID to prove who I am.

LET’S TALK – this is the motto and the marketing for Bell’s “Let’s Talk” mental health awareness and fundraising forum.  It’s brilliant and very needed, however, is it working?  Suicide is on the rise.  People are killing themselves to get out of this life.  Why?   I struggle with the assumed diagnosis that someone who is suicidal or has taken their own life has significant mental health struggles.   I am no expert by any means. I’m also not an expert in suicide awareness or in mental health awareness although in being a counsellor I do understand and observe.  I question,  does suicide always have to do with mental health or a  mental health diagnosis?   Is suicide always connected to chronic depression or a mental health disorder?  Could living this life be the cause of wanting to die? Or living an isolated life be the cause? Is suicide about getting out of “here” or is it about not feeling worthy enough?  Could the decisions that we are making regarding social interaction, in turn, be causing poor mental health?

Life is really hard.  Life. Is. Damn. Hard.   Life is damn hard without children, pets, chronic illness or any other exceptionality to “regular life”.  The lifetime hamster wheel is exhausting.  Get up, go to work, and werk, werk, werk, werk, werk, werk. (You sang it in your head too, didn’t you?).   Run errands, pay bills, pick up or cook dinner, clean something, answer a few emails, maybe work a little more, text a few people, maybe watch TV and then go to bed.  AND Tomorrow – you do it all over again, and then again and again and again.

Now let’s add partners, family members, children, pets, chronic illness, elderly parents, terminally ill friend or loved one, credit card debt, exercise, and various chores.  Now let’s add more of life’s stressors; conflict… with anyone, termination of friendship or job, car breakdown or accident, travel/commute times, lack of healthy food and lack of sleep, any addiction of any sort and poverty.

Now let’s add the pressures of the North American Society; fabulous career with fabulous pay, big house, expensive car, great marriage/partnership, children and then they have to be exceptional children, and you with exceptional parenting skills, and have exceptionally close relationships with these children,  add the several extra-curricular activates for the children, have an amazing wardrobe and all the current technical toys.  Now add all the trendy health fads and all the self-care push…

YOU MUST HAVE THE PERFECT LIFE!!!  Why?  Because Society says so.

Now add Social Media; you now have to show this perfect life on an account several times a day.  Your worth is measured in likes and the number of followers.  You feel validated by the number of likes and comments that are left on your post.  AND everyone who follows you thinks you’re are happy and amazing.  Do you post unhappy things?  Rarely cause you could come across as wanting attention or because some asshole will post negative comments.

It’s easier to text than to talk.  Texting is a no accountability conversation.   If my text upset you, then YOU must have read it wrong.  It becomes your problem,  not mine.  Easy, peasy.

We rarely engage in face to face contact with one another and if we do our faces are looking at our phones… not each other.

Look around you…

At dinner out – are people conversing or on their phones?

At the movies – are people watching or on their phones?

At vacation spots – are people experiencing or on their phones?

We have lost a sector of our human need, a need that is essential to our existence.    Human interaction.  Face to face contact.  Human touch.  We cannot live successfully without it.

We pretend to have a perfect life, we strive for materialism, and for self-proclamation at the same time.  We rarely engage in face to face interaction.  We don’t dare speak about our struggles; about how hard life is and how we may be unhappy but we encourage everyone else to accept depression and mental health… We never speak about our mental health, the strengths or the weaknesses.  AND we don’t know why the suicide rate has increased…interesting.

Do you know that many of those people who actually want to die don’t ask for support or an assist from family, from friends or from services?  We regularly hear “they were so happy or they had everything going for them”.   Not many in that person’s life knew of their struggles, their challenges and/or their worries.   They rarely knew about their mental health.   That suicidal person put on a front.  They put on a show for others… why?  My perception is because of the conflicting messages we’ve created.

Let’s talk but I don’t really want to hear about the negative.

Let’s talk but don’t admit that you are depressed.

Let’s talk but don’t ask for real help because you’ll be seen as weak.

Let’s talk but don’t mention that you are wanting to die.  That you want to give up.  That you’ve had enough of THIS life.

I truly do think we’re trying to change the way mental health is portrayed in our Society.  We are trying to un-label the labeled.  I still think there’s a great majority of us that look at asking for help or reaching out for assistance is a sign of weakness.  AND it comes with judgment and it comes with ridicule.  We need to do better.   We need to do more and we can… starting with ourselves.

I myself have my Go To’s but they are very few.  Less than 5 people really.   I would much rather spill my heart out in a blog that might reach someone who will understand than speak to someone in my life.  I’m also trying to change that.   I’m no longer telling everyone “I’m fine” when I’m not.   I’m not pretending that my life is all chocolates and no shit.  I’m posting the shit too.  I am trying to make a point of connecting with people and checking in.   If I feel as though life is hard, I also recognize  I am not the only one.   I continue to love, be kind and respectful towards all.   I ensure I have appropriate boundaries with the toxic people in my life. I take no bullshit from others… and I surround myself with people that carry genuine love for me.  I try to give back in order to feel as though I am contributing and to make another feel that they are worthy of this life.  Generosity does work miracles. It is a phenomenal natural medicine.

We all have some purpose on this planet.   Us extending our hands to each other is essential to getting through this life.   Please make your hand available.  Check in with those around you.  The toughest are the ones who fall the hardest.  Someone might appear strong however they may not be.

Life is crazy difficult, confusing and at times torturous.  No one can understand that better than you.  Your life is important.   You are needed here.  You are not alone.  There are many around you that will hold your hand through your lowest times.  Just take it…

Keep fighting…  oxox