TimElEss ClassiCs
URban ChiC
n
C
o
up
o
672 Chrislea Road, Woodbridge, Ontario • Tel 289 268 0020
50
0
At the end of day, sick or weak there is no
difference, all there is, is someone in need be
it a loved one, a friend, or a co-worker calling
out to us in desperation, looking for repose,
for relief, or for reprieve. If we take to heart
the points above we can dispel the disbelief
that numbs our impulse to support those
suffering. How should we respond? What
should we do? Well imagine for a moment
your neighbour has just lost his wife. How
would you treat him? Would it matter how
she died
ould you seek to find blame in
his loss
ould you question his suffering
Would you set a deadline to his grieving? Not
likely. What is likely, is that you would support him in any way you could. You would
Pr
es
e
$
on nt
a thi
m sa
C in. $ d
an an 2 an
y no ,50 d r
o
0
e
t
Ex the be or ce
d
i
pi r
re of co er ve
s J fe m ( b a $
ul r o bin ef 50
o
y
r
31 di ed re 0 c
, 2 sco w ta ou
01 u ith xe po
s)
6. nts
. n
.
Where ignorance guides our understanding
of mental health concerns with acquaintances, vanity guides us when dealing with
our loved ones who suffer. Simply put, we
do not want to believe that our loved ones
are suffering and that we are unable to help
them. This realization makes us feel powerless and scared and so often, we ignore it
and deny it. We do not want others to judge
them or us! What does it say that my wife
is depressed or my child plagued by anxieties? Our own assumptions and fears are at
play here, as are our own conceptions of the
stigmas surrounding mental health and addiction. Vanity inclines us to hide away what
is absolutely in need of light. The message to
the public must emphatically be the following: While it may be painful to acknowledge
that a loved one is suffering from mental illness or addiction, the road to recovery is only
lit by extinguishing denial. Is this painful for
us es eing compassionate, by definition,
means to suffer with someone and to share in
his or her suffering for there is no other route
to wellness.
EClECTiC mix
because naturally, we want to reassure them
that everything is going to be fine and after
all, we too have suffered as they do now and
we overcame it, so we think. This erroneous
judgement is not malice, just ignorance. We
dismiss because we have failed to properly
appreciate the varying degrees of severity
with which mental illness and addiction afflict certain individuals. hen dealing with
mental health and addiction issues we often
make powerful assumptions that are nearly
always incorrect. These are the assumptions
that must be adjusted. In no uncertain terms,
the message to the public must be the following: When dealing with someone with
mental health concerns ASSUME that you
do NOT fully understand what they are going through. This approach will ensure that
what you don’t know, does not impede what
you choose to do on behalf of those suffering. In short, this approach will incline you to
do everything you possibly can.
sOPhisTiCaTEd ElEganCE
4.5 X 9.5 ad_Layout 1 20/04/2016 11:17 AM Page 1
www.zillihome.com
fredi spring 2016 •
43