The tragedy in Tucson this past weekend reminds me of how often our society neglects or overlooks the needs and issues of the mentally ill. Could this tragedy have been prevented? Could those lives have been spared? There are so many questions about why the signs the shooter presented weren’t attended to.
Research tells us that 1 in 4 people in the state of Minnesota will have a mental health issue of sorts in their lifetime. The field of mental health is vast and mental illness manifests in so many ways and forms – I’m recently reminded that you can’t “pep” talk someone out of a depressive state that just reinforces their negative feelings and self doubt.
Personally, mental health issues have affected our family in the past few years with my daughter being diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome) a year ago after a serious boating accident and a step-daughter who has experienced paralyzing depression.
What I’ve learned is the following:
- To help people remember that they are not alone and many people cope with similar situations
- Some common struggles include depression, anxiety, substance abuse and bother mental illnesses
- Always staying hopeful – treatment does work
- To be supportive and praise loved ones for seeking help
- Physical activity and being surrounded by supportive people is essential.
In the St. Cloud area, there are services to support people with mental illness including: Caritas Mental Health clinic, Lutheran Social Services, the Behavioral health services at the St. Cloud Hospital, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and many others. Call United Way 2-1-1 for more information and resources to help.
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