I was so sad to hear about Robin Williams, a man who was so funny on the outside but so sad on the inside.
Talking of funny, some people have such a funny attitude towards depression, don’t you think? Don’t worry, it will pass. Would you give the same advice to someone with a physical illness? Don’t worry about your diabetes/heart disease/cancer, darls. It will get better with time. Yeah, right, I don’t think so. When we have problems with our physical health, we hot foot it down to the doctors to see what they can do and how quickly they’re going to put us right, but it’s a totally different story when it comes to taking care of our mental health. It’s complicated.
When I got my second diagnosis, my GP diagnosed PTSD. Going from a hero diagnosis (as in being cancer free) to a zero diagnosis (you have cancer…again) in a 6 month period had done more than rattle my cage. I got a mental health plan and a psychologist to help me along the road to recovery. For me, that support was as much a life saver as my cancer treatment.
I think that giving and receiving that help is so important that I’m training to be a counsellor myself.
Depression is a silent killer. According to the World Health Organisation 3000 people commit suicide every day.
It’s time to break the silence. Let’s speak to each other more, let’s look out and take care of each other, let’s listen to each other and if we think we need it, let’s reach out and get some help. Because we’re worth it.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
