We all know someone—“that guy”—whether a friend, family member, or co-worker, who might be mentally ill. Maybe you reach out to him with compassion, and you take him aside, and you tell him, “Hey, you seem to be struggling with something, and I want to help you, but I don’t know how. Maybe you could use some therapy and medication, you know?”
And maybe ten percent of the time, you will get this reaction: “I don’t need therapy! I don’t need therapy! I don’t need medication! I don’t need medication! Go to hell!” Well, all right, you did your duty, you tried, and it didn’t work out, but at least you gave it an honest effort. To each his own.
Then you do the same thing to others, and let’s say that eighty percent of the time, you get a different response: “I think I’m OK. I go to the bar, order a beer, and talk to the bartender.” Again, if that’s what works for him, that’s fine. Let it go at that. And it does seem that most people cope well that way.
But then take the last ten percent, and you say the same thing, and you might get a totally different reaction: “You know what, you may be right. Maybe I do need some help.” And you just might have saved a life. There’s no shame in admitting a weakness! It requires tremendous courage, in fact.
When a condition rises to the level of a disability, that’s when professional help is in order. A pint of alcohol and chit-chat over beer nuts is simply not going to cut it. And the person who is in blanket denial will lose friends, family, and coworkers. Isolation clouds his prospects. No one wants to be around that type of person.
Therapy and medication are not weaknesses. They are luxuries! Most people do not have the time, the money, and the energy to work on themselves exclusively one-on-one with a therapist. And medication—or, psych meds—can make someone feel so much better and do so much more effectively than a temporary beer buzz.
So, don’t be “that guy!” I hope you are surrounded by a loving family, close friends, and loyal co-workers who will tell you, straight to your face, if something is off with you. I have them in my life, and I would not be alive if it were not for them. That’s why I am not hanging around at a bar all the time.
But hey, I still like beer nuts!
Image credit: shutterstock.com/NewAfrica