Commentary: Local agencies can help those who suffer from mental illness
Caring for those who are afflicted with mental illness can prove to be challenging at best, catastrophic at worst and chaotic in between. Without help, symptoms can increase and treatment can become more complex. Values are questioned, lives are changed, nerves are frazzled and finances are strained. This is the world of caring for those with chronic and persistent mental illness.
It is the kind of club that no one wants to join. It is a biological brain disease that manifests itself in both physical and psychiatric symptoms. It is a treatable condition, similar to diabetes or heart disease. Without warning, it can take hold and wreak havoc on our lives. It is a place in time, shrouded by secrecy and stained by design – a place where shame and fear reside. It is a game changer – no one involved escapes its impact. Far-reaching tentacles stretch out to the community and undermine our collective quality of life. It is a burden that both family and community share. It intrudes on our peace of mind.
In the face of these harsh realities, which seem both random and unfair, the ability to love is tried and tested over and over again. Even children who grow up around adults who suffer with mental illness face a number of difficult challenges of their own. If a child is left under the sole supervision of a caretaker with untreated mental problems, it can become particularly frightening and traumatizing. Children have no way of knowing that it isn’t their fault.
There comes a turning point when we, as advocates, stumble upon the recognition that we, by ourselves, are unable to affect any significant or long-lasting recovery in the hearts and minds of those who suffer. Our love and concern can be a lifeline, yet it is clearly not enough.
This is also a time when it becomes tempting to give up. Surrender is actually a good thing. It allows us to embrace the idea that we are powerless. We’ve exhausted every internal resource to survive this state of affairs, yet things don’t seem to get better. Like watching the crash of pounding waves, we realize this problem is as vast and formidable as the ocean. These issues are simply too big to be handled alone. We acknowledge the need for help, and we become teachable.
The good news is that there are local agencies, both public and private, that are eager to get involved. Many of these agencies provide services for free, or at low cost, and they cater to the needs of both sufferers and their loved ones. Some amazing examples include: the Orange County Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Depression and Bipolar Service Alliance of Orange County and the Division of Behavioral Health within the County of Orange.
In order to improve understanding, enhance dignity and increase self-determination in the lives of those who suffer from any form of mental illness, we need to first look inside ourselves and summon up enormous compassion for people who endure incomprehensible suffering and unremitting stigma. This is where love for our fellow man enters the picture and where grace can sustain us. Like a firmly planted tree near open water, faith will never run dry. We can, and do, evolve as a caring community — a place where people who once suffered can thrive!
Freelance writer KATHY CLINKENBEARD lives in Costa Mesa.