In another life time, I would probably have become a mental health care worker. For I care about people, I think I have an empathy that extends much larger than many, and perhaps I take things too much to heart.
Just completed a 2 day accredited course on mental health first aid. What a fascinating experience, and what wealth of information I gained. From anxiety to depression, to substance abuse to suicide to schizophrenia. We were taught the tools, on how to approach, listen nonjudgmentally, give support and information, encourage the person to seek out professional help, and encourage the person to seek out other forms of support, such as family and friends.
Mental health is so varied, so much on a spectrum that it's hard to define, hard to diagnose, and even harder to spot if you don't know what to look for. And it's exacerbated by substance abuse and dependency that aggravates or even feeds into the underlining mental health issue, as the person seeks means to avoid or dull the pain.
I was especially affected by the segment on schizophrenia, and reminded of a dear friend I know who (I suspected) was showing signs of it. She displayed all the symptoms of paranoia, distrust, and feelings that she's being monitored or tracked. She had very little joy in life, and I empathised with her a lot. I even went to visit her in her home country after she said she's returning to visit family. I don't know if I'll ever see her again, to be honest. Buti have a soft spot for her, as she was such a kind and simple person, one who is troubled by demons and voices from perhaps traumas or the murky depths of the human psyche... I saw my therapist a few days after the course about this person. And thinking of her made me emotional again, as I really would have liked to help her. And I had just the tools of sympathy and empathy, of just validating her fears and concerns, validating her as a person, but not the illness. As insufficient as it may be, that sometimes is all someone can offer.
We all could benefit from a course like this. We could all use it to help others, and in a way also help ourselves in this high strung and stressful society and culture we live in.
May all beings be free from mental suffering...
