Today we want to take a moment to be serious, which is REALLY hard. The subject is mental health. There are many of us in this world who seem like they have everything together. We are the “life of the party”, are leaders in our prospective fields, or have a kind word or a funny statement to make to everyone. Behind the scenes, things aren’t great. We are depressed to the point of crawling up in a ball. Talking with somebody is the LAST thing we want to do. Going out of the house, even to an office or worksite, takes everything we have besides just getting out of the car when we arrive.
Jason Isbell has a new song called “Death Wish” which deals with the other side of the equation of a friend/significant other/family member watching this behavior. While some of us grew up with people saying “shake it off”, it isn’t that simple. After hearing this song, if you know somebody that might remind you of the song subject person, we recommend this simple advice. Listen, love, act. Many people aren’t looking for you to answer or solve their issues. It can be so helpful to just Listen. Remember that they don’t want to be this way, Love them. Finally, if you see destructive behavior of self harm or possible harm to others, Act. Do something for somebody knowing that the last thing they want is to ask for help.