Last night I sat on a couch on the deck of my parent’s house and listened to music. It was around 8:00 pm and the sky was starting to get darker. I started humming along to The Smiths “I Know It’s Over,” and began to think about my life.
I was lamenting about my 20’s and how I spent the first half of it in and out of psychiatric hospitals (11 total). I then looked up and it seemed like the whole sky was singing along with me. Even the angels that were in my presence were singing. It was a reminder that I am not alone, and that I am loved. God, Jesus, the angels that protect me, and my family and friends all love and support me.
Even though I am suffering, people help carry my burden. I hope they all know how much I appreciate what they do for me. When I wrote my first post on here, I didn’t expect the responses that I got. The comments and likes made me feel great. It was another reminder that I am not alone.
But there are many other people struggling with mental illness right now that are alone. They have depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, PTSD and other types of mental illness, but they don’t have the support of friends and family. My Dad and I started a podcast called I Didn’t Ask for This to help anyone struggling with mental illness. On our website we list places to get help and they can even reach out to us I they want to talk.
If you know someone who is struggling with mental illness, give them a call. It will mean more to them than you will ever know. You are telling them that you care about them and that you understand their struggle.
Last thing – listen to more music and hopefully you get to hear the sky and angels sing along with you. Here is a song to get you started:
