Be the Team

Dear Life,

As I have written about my tall one's battle with anxiety, depression and schizophrenia, I have thought long and hard about how very blessed we are to have the people we have on his side. He has a multiple faceted team that works to help him in various aspects....a county program specializing in young people dealing with the beginning stages of schizophrenia (that is where he gets amazing therapists and psychiatrists who know go beyond what other mental health professionals have done...like when he can't get out of the car because his anxiety is to high, they come to him); a school program that has smaller classrooms and teachers that are well versed in dealing with anxiety and depression and have ways of being creative so that students can eventually move towards full day attendance;  a basketball program that cares deeply about our boy as a person, and has believed in him from the beginning; and church leaders that have never judged him for not going to church; instead they have come to our home and just LOVED him and taught him.   Put those four programs together with the love of a family, parents who seriously had to fight hard to keep him home during the hardest of times, brothers who stayed by his side, other family members who understood his need to sometimes be in quiet rooms during family gatherings; that is how our boy is coming thru this battle.  It has been the hardest of battles, and we have had to be patient when we didn't have patience left. We have had to believe in him when he didn't believe in himself and when we didn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Every group on his team has fought hard, fought for him, next to him, and sometimes with him to get him in a place where he is finally moving forward.  It was and still is a daily battle.  Any day he could have a setback.  We have to prepare and always believe in him.  Believe that his life is worth saving, that his life is worth living, and that his life is worth it all.  

Other people deal with mental health issues.  It is not always as easy as it looks, and not everyone has the amount of support that others do.  EVERY LIFE IS WORTH LIVING.  It is so important that people understand the need for mental health awareness; that people learn tolerance; that people educate themselves about the various disorders; that people learn to love others regardless.

Being on someone's team is sometimes as easy as caring, calling, checking in, not allowing that person to feel alone.  It's when you're alone you sink to the lowest of lows.  Everyone deserves a chance to LIVE.  No one wants to live with anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bi polar disorder, or any of the other mental health disorders there are.  Think outside of your comfort zone, because no one living with these disorders is comfortable either!  

#ItTakesATeam
#EndTheStigma
#LoveOneAnother