My Wish as a Mother Who Lost Her Child to Suicide
My wish is that this battle becomes real to people. That they could see this illness for what it truly is, a true disease that can be as debilitating as physical illnesses. Mental illness isn’t something anyone can choose or wish away. It affects the brain, a vital part of us.
This illness has so much stigma attached to it. People are ashamed to reach for help, and many go undiagnosed and untreated. The resources for mental health are limited and not accessible to many.
When a tragedy strikes someone we know or love, it makes us all ask: Why didn’t they say something? Why didn’t they ask someone to help them. Why didn’t they just do things to make them happy?
We need to look at this differently. When you are in a battle with your thoughts and perceptions, it is not something you can just turn off. Instead we need to ask: What can we do to help? Where are we, as a society, to help those fighting these battles? Where do we stand when someone we know is going through terrible pain?
My wish is for this battle to never have to be fought so hard. That those fighting it would be loved, accepted and never ridiculed. We need to do better to help the people struggling and fighting a battle we cannot see.
Image via contributor.
If you or someone you know needs help, visit our suicide prevention resources page.
If you need support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741-741.
My name is Angela Drake. I am a mother of 2 girls. Sadly, my oldest daughter Brittany lost a very long battle with depression and died by suicide on March 24, 2016. I will continue to be an advocate for mental health and suicide prevention. My youngest daughter Brianna, “Butchie” and I continue to grieve and lean on each other trying to find our way through this very different world without Brittany.
angela_drake