Iyamah's Self Wellness Friday

Hello, world. This Friday's wellness check is about the number of people in America dealing with some form of mental illness. Back in the day, there was not enough awareness on this topic. If you had some mental incapacity, you were looked at as an outcast because of it. I'm not sure why that was back then, but today I notice that more people speak out loudly about this matter.

I read that 1 in 5 people in America deals with depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. I feel that this is the time to normalize this conversation to bring awareness for better treatment. We all have a responsibility as a human race to take care of one another, and I feel that we have done a horrible job at it in the past. We have to step our game up with organizing assistance for the people who need help, And I know that we also should come together more frequently and strongly when supporting the families members at home who are looking after these people.

With the proper help, deaths caused by mental illnesses can be reduced or prevented. Healthier and happier lives are possible with the appropriate support. We cannot only care when it's a relative of ours. We have to be concerned all the time, even if it doesn't affect us directly.

There should be community groups to discuss a plan on what steps to take to strengthen mental health. Police reform is a way to help because they often respond to situations where a person is acting erratically due to a mental meltdown. Law enforcers could view it as their being defiant. If there was training for officers specifically for a mental breakdown, I feel there is a possibility for better outcomes.

Schools and private communities should also bear some moral responsibilities for organizing more vital protocols on dealing with this topic. No one wants to be left behind or mistreated. A lot is going on in this world, and we all should lean on one another and create solutions.

And we need to address the shaming of mental illnesses. I've seen this repeatedly of family members shaming another family member or abandoning them because I guess the difficulties that come with this. People wrestling with depression, bipolar, or schizophrenia are not acting out; they need extra help with life.

I don't have all the answers, but so many times, I've witnessed people crying out for help in some form or the other. There's a stereotype of what mental illness looks like; in reality, you never know what a person is going through in their head.

Sometimes these issues are being dismissed as someone is only acting out when they're crying out for help, so let's find ways to look out for one another. If this conversation is addressed publicly out loud more often, maybe we all can come together and find solutions to weaken the numbers of this madness.

Because too many of our people are going mad, we have the power to help. I'm not turning my back on anyone because if I needed help, I wouldn't want loved ones or anyone to turn their back on me. I want someone in this big old world of ours to fight fiercely for me.