Imagine waking up every day feeling a sense of impending doom (or not wanting to wake up at all), yet nobody can see your pain – academic stress and anxiety pervade every thought.
That is a glimpse of what it is like to live with mental illness.
Recent statistics reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reveal a staggering reality: 50% of all youth ages 8-15 with a mental illness received no mental health services in the previous year;
and 50% of adults with mental illness report experiencing symptoms prior to the age of 14; 75% prior to the age of 24.
Amid a mental health crisis, these sobering data points call more attention to May being Mental Health Awareness Month.
May usually represents a month of joy and happiness. College graduations, weddings, and looming summer vacations fill the days with as much anticipation as potential sunlight. For some, though, there is no light – only the darkness that casts a shadow over the sunlight of their spirits. That darkness is the shroud of mental illness.
In my work, I serve as an executive functioning coach and tutor for children and adults with various disorders, including ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism. In addition, comorbid disorders of anxiety and depression are frequently a factor, but the scale has intensified in the last few years.
While I am blessed to have the opportunity to coach people toward an evolution of character, I am also a passenger on many bumpy rides along the pathway toward success.
Here is one recent story that resonates: I began working with a college student three years ago after she had failed out of school. She worked hard to regain entry to that coll,ege and over the following three semesters, her grades were impeccable – but then something changed. She started missing class, not handing in work, and became socially withdrawn. Her behavior continued to deteriorate into paranoid delus,ons; and soon, bathing and personal care departed. Ultimately, she had to take a medical leave – but most importantly, she is now getting intensive mental health support.
That being said, school success and upward career mobility are irrelevant if mental health isn’t a priority. My student didn’t make poor choices — her mental illness had taken over. Her behavior was self-protective at best, and her moments of poor decision-making were the manifestation of her affliction.
Mental illness is a barrietoof perspective and logic; it fills the afflicted and their families with chaos and deception. Somet,imes it tells families that their loved one will snap out of it, or even worse, that the delusions and lies reflect poor character. But, it is the untruths that are part of the disease.
There is a saying in my field, which is, “You can’t save them all.” While that may indeed be true, speaking from experience, we can certainly try.
Here’s another saying, “If you see something, say something.” Don’t let your pride, the power of denial, or the obstinate voice of a mentally ill loved one sway you from getting them into treatment—their life could depend on it.
If you or a loved one needs help, dal , for a 24-hour/365-day hot available to for all Connecticut residents.
