“Alone. Yes, that’s the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn’t hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym.”
These are the words of novelist Stephen King, taken from his dark 1975 horror fiction Salem’s Lot.
Aside from inspiring a 2004 film, the highlight of which is Donald Sutherland’s deep mellifluous timbre, this quote is a despairingly accurate description of what over three million Australian’s face every year.
Mental illness is very common in our community, one in five Australians aged 16 to 85 experience mental illness in any year, and the resultant financial cost to the community is approximately $20 billion annually.
That amount of money would build over 150 new Busselton Hospitals, or host the Olympic games in London, twice.
Depression, anxiety and substance abuse are the most widespread conditions we face, affecting almost half of us (45%) in our lifetime.
We know how rehabilitative it is to feel validated, accepted and heard when inside the glasshouse that is mental ill-health, and that effectively managing these conditions requires a strong support network of friends and family.
Yet in a climate where Australians are more likely to die of suicide than skin cancer, we’re still uncomfortable about confronting these issues, talking about it, and taking care of each other.
The first thing we can all do is to show a willingness to listen. Knowing what to say may sometimes be difficult, but lending an ear to a friend or family member, without being too quick to offer advice, is often the most validating and healing thing you can do.
Recognising changes in their mood, energy level, sleeping habits, concentration, appetite or social engagement, and being there to support them through stressful periods.
As is assisting them in finding help in the form of their GP or psychologist.
So next time, be confident enough to ask the question…
“You seem to be a bit down of late, really not like yourself - I want to help you, do you want to talk about it?”
For more information http://www.beyondblue.org.au/.