Say It Out Loud

Sometimes on the path of life, we are given extreme challenges. Obstacles we’re not even sure how to face, let alone how to get through. We’ve all had them, things that drop into our lap that weren’t a part of our master plan. Things that made us pause, trip, scream, curl into a ball and cry and wonder how we can possibly carry on. And yet we do. Because sometimes those very same things deliver to us a greater purpose. A greater reason to keep moving on, pushing forward…obstacles and all.

And that is exactly what the journey through my son’s struggles did. There is no way to sugar coat what we’ve been through. It has been hell. It has been hard and trying. We’ve had days filled with why’s and how come’s and will it ever end’s. But we’ve also had days of joy and laughter. Days filled with we did it’s and we made it’s and it’s going to be okay’s.

With a magic mix of professional help, love, medication, support, prayers, strength and sheer will…we’ve made it through. To the other side of this obstacle. And it is not lost on me that not every one is that lucky. Because there are MANY who do not make it through to the other side. And while I cannot point to any one cure all that could’ve changed the situation of the many we have lost, I can point to one thing that could make a dramatic difference. And that is this.

We MUST eliminate the silence surrounding mental illness. We must stop talking in hushed tones and secret whispers. There is no good reason we should not talk about mental illness OUT LOUD, like we do about heart disease, cancer diabetes and so on. Because the more we talk about it, the less those living with it feel like they must suffer in silence. We must say it out loud. The more we talk about it, the more people know. The more we talk about it, the less stigma there is. The less stigma there is, the more help those who are hurting can seek. And the more help sought by those hurting, means the less self harm and loss we will see. The simple fact is this, suicide is the eighth-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, scientific evidence has shown that almost all people who take their own lives have a diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder, and the majority have more than one disorder (source: NAMI).

And yet, we whisper, talk quietly. Or not all.

We must say it out loud. We must begin to share our experiences, our pain, our stories. Because when we do, we might just help another hurting soul waiting for a reaching hand.

In May, I had the honor of being selected to share my story out loud. On a stage with several other brilliant women, I chose to share the very personal story about one of our very real, very haunting moments in crisis, as a mother parenting a child living with mental illness.

It is six minutes and twenty-two seconds long. Will you do me the honor of watching it, sharing it, and saying it out loud?

Because, together we can be a reaching hand to those suffering in silence.

Will you join me?