Tortured Souls - A Mental Illness Thread

[Dodgerchick]

Not sure if any of you know, but I've been working at a Behavioral Health Clinic for about 6 months. We get the occasional call where a person no longer wishes to live and it's a mad scramble to get them help before the inevitable. A few months ago we received a phone call where a patient took a bunch of pills and called us for help. We were able to help her and she was sent to the hospital. I got really attached to her and always made it a point to make her feel welcome. She went from being a biweekly patient to a weekly patient so we could keep a close eye on her. Well, earlier this week we got a call that she had passed away. This poor woman, she was a tortured soul - she saw things that weren't there, she heard voices telling her to do things... gosh, to be living in a brain like that.

I'm not even sure why I'm posting this. I guess it's in memory for all those who have died from living with a mental illness and for those who still suffer. Those who are my Facebook friends are gonna hear it again - PLEASE BE KIND TO THOSE WHO ARE UNKIND, they need it the most. Be considerate to those who snap, they might be going through some sort of trauma in their life... be patient, kind and say a prayer for them.

[JPhillips]

My wife suffered a breakdown after 9/11. She was convinced that she had missed a ritual(severe OCD) and that had led to the attacks. She slept almost not at all for a week after 9/11 because she had to check the time every 15 minutes or the terrorists would strike again.

Eventually I was able to convince her to get help. She got the right therapy and medication and she's been better for over ten years. Her first therapist got her to understand she wasn't a "cosmic VIP".

Mental illness is terrible and often made worse by a lack of understanding.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well said, Dodgerchick. I see a lot of BS artists in my current job, but I never forget that I also see a lot of people who have a legitimate serious mental illness who are truly tortured.