Thursday, December 05, 2013

Mental Health

It has been reported in the media that four Canadian soldiers may have committed suicide this past week; a troubling revelation. While some people may think that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, it is not a temporary problem for those who spend a part or most of their adult life struggling with demons from within. Statistics reveal that 1 in 5 Canadians will experience some form of mental illness during their life. When you consider that alarming number is based only on reported cases, and with many people never getting help for their struggles, the actual number of people coping with the burden of reduced mental health must be considerably higher.

Even though most people may be comfortable talking about the various physical ailments they may face, they may not display the same openness when it comes to issues of mental health. Most of us seem to have no problem persuading those closest to us with symptoms of a physical illness to seek medical attention. We need to show the same ongoing level of encouragement for all health related matters. Although we can’t force a horse to drink water, as per the expression, if we continue to lead it there, it may eventually realize its need to drink.

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