Mental Health Awareness

Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month???
We are at the end of this month but I want to encourage everyone to not let the advocacy and awareness to end. Mental Health is everyday for a lot of people and we must work to erase the stigma and shame.

I am a child of a parent who suffered severely with this label/diagnosis. As stigmatizing as the label of being mentally ill is and can be for the person who suffers, for a very long time I wore that label as well as a child whose mother suffered. I wore it like the scarlet letter, growing up embarrassed and ashamed of my mom's  diagnosis. I carried that diagnosis as if it were mine. I grew up trying to understand what was going on with her and why it seemed like my mom didn't like or care about me. Eventually I came to know why but by that time I was carrying around so much hurt, bitterness and embarrasment with me and well into my adult years. I've made peace and grown alot since then and am thankful to God for helping me to not continue to live with the shame and bitterness. 

My mom passed away in 2014 as a result of her severe mental illness. While preparing her memorial service after she transitioned, it wasn't until then that I saw the value of that diagnosis of both my mom's life and mine as well. For so long, there was great shame attached to it so i couldn't see the the good in it, cause all I knew was hurt and embarrasment. I was trying to come up with a special presentation to honor my mom, and could not really come up with anything. I let my sister take over that project since I was coming up blank and what she came up with simply blew me away and it wasn't like it was something over the top. I didn't see the finish product until the day of the memorial. Watching it hit me hard but it was eye opening. At the moment of watching the presentation I was so proud to be a child of a parent who suffered from mental illness. At that moment, I realized that my mom did the best she could, that although her life was a living hell, her legacy was great. She was a woman who suffered severely with mental illness but she raised two beautiful children who gave her 3 grandkids and a great grand child. We were her legacy, her greatness in spite of her severe mental illness! God blessed and gave her stewardship over the lives of my sister and I. He trusted her because her purposed her to bring forth greatness.

 Its a hard situation to deal with but I had to understand the positive in it because everything from my vantage point was so bad. Having to be the caretaker of my mom during the last couple year's of her life was a big challenge. One that I never imagined having to do in regards to her deteriorating mental status. It was so hard. But I'm definitely a better woman for that experience. I carried the stigma for myself a long time, just holding on to it. My self esteem and self confidence suffered, I under achieved and "dumb down" as some may call it. I didnt apply myself to school and just felt stuck in life, my excuse... I had a mom that was "crazy". 

This month is over but Mental Health Awareness will never be. The cause for caretakers and family members is just as great as for those diagnosed. If you have friend or family members dealing with this. Reach out and let them know you are there. They need your support. Their own mental illness is at stake as well. Reach out, lend an ear, be there, let them know they are no less valued because of their situation.

Lets erase the stigma
Yaya