I never been one to put much stock in life...raised by a minister...my belief has always been that this body is temporary and the soul goes on. It was that belief that had prevented me from killing myself...I had no qualms with the body dying...but I couldn't risk killing my soul. I went in the Marines to fight, and accepted the risk of death...death at the time wasn't something I feared.
That's not normal...when you begin to not value life and entertain a demise by your own hand...life reflects that. My friends, family never seen that side of me...I was good at masking it. They never seen me go through a gallon of whiskey a day...they just saw a happy go lucky guy. For a while I was able to keep up the facade...able to go out and be the life of the party...but inside there was no party.
It took years of "rock bottoms" and some very dark places for me to get help. Admitting that I needed help meant in a way that I was "crazy". Looking back the "crazy" thing would have been not getting help. As for the "help"...it doesn't change someone...the help gave me understanding and tools where I could help myself by understanding myself.
There is a stigma that has to be changed that associates people with mental health problems as pariahs. When our nose runs...we pop a pill and get a tissue. When we twist an ankle...we pop a asprin, get some ice, and elevate it. Mental health should be looked at no different. If someone is hitting the bottle too much...talking to a shrink and figuring out why one drinks too much shouldn't be a negative...that should be the preferred course.
More than likely the issues with Belcher were temporary ones where he chose a final solution. But this post isn't about Belcher...it's about your friends, family, co-workers...and for some ourselves. We have to remove the stigma of mental health...a screw loose doesn't stop a car...but it may need a tune up.
I'm clinically depressed...me being tough and not getting help nearly led to me killing myself. Chemically my brain doesn't produce enough serotonin...without enough serotonin my brain becomes chemically unbalanced...that unbalance leads to depression. For years I treated my depression with a bottle (a depressant)...that is insanity. I can't be "tough" enough to ever change the chemicals in my brain...in a nutshell I need chemical help to balance my moods.
The tragic situation at Arrowhead has led me to post this, but this isn't about football. Getting help has changed my life and I encourage anyone that deals with some issues to get help. Getting help doesn't make one weak...I'll argue it makes one stronger. Help is out there.
