Mental Health during and after the pandemic
I know with me I am thankful for what the pandemic has taught me not only about myself but others too. People’s true colors have shined in this time period of uncertainty, which has lead me to many choices that lead me to write this article.
Mental health is at it’s highest point in America with being stuck at home; people need help and someone to talk too. The stigma of mental health has finally become a topic that people are interested in talking about. This is a topic that has needed recognition for many years. I was a mental health activist in college and president of active minds, which started when their child committed suicide due to bullying and mental health. Active minds held every year if a college or group decided to participate in it where they put as many backpacks outside of campus with suicides per year. It was and still is a powerful statement. It tended to be over 1,000 backpacks or more. The percentage of suicide rates then versus now is much different. Suicide is much higher now due to the pandemic.
It’s a sad truth some people have become stir crazy or have lost their job. There are many factors in the rise in the suicide rate.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America, as said by the American foundation of suicide prevention. In 2018 alone, there were 1.4 million attempts of suicide. I came from a class that a good percentage attempted suicide, and some succeeded. There is an upside to all of this. It's talking about it.
There is so much stigma around suicide, but the leading cause of suicide is mental illness. Writing about this brings me back to Rose, a friend who was an artist who could paint and draw amazing things and did it so easily. Her first suicide attempt was my sophomore year of high school. She had tried to overdose with her medication, which at that time, I didn't know what the medication was for. Her second attempt was within that same year in cutting herself.
It wasn’t until she was in college, she tried again, and this time it worked; she overdosed on her medication to help with her depression and manic phases. She was bipolar. I found out that fact after her death. I couldn't imagine what she was going through at the time. Her attempts were part of her way of coping. I remember rumors about her that were just high school mean crap of calling her crazy and more. The word “Crazy” is what leads to stigma. Not stating the feelings or facts involved is just an escape from taking the first step in talking about it.
That is literally the first step; that is what I learned when I was a victim advocate. The first step is talking. Really finding out where this person is at in life, whether you or someone you know. It’s always safe to talk about its common to have thoughts about it, but it's a whole different thing when you follow through with those thoughts. Know you're never alone. I know I had had those thoughts when I was younger and was afraid to talk about it due to the crazy label that comes with that. In this crazy time period, we are all living in the right. Let's come together and talk. Be there for each other even if it's just an ear to listen to what a person has to say or if it's to speak up. Know you are not alone, and now more than ever is the time to speak up.
