Still Gettin' On
Wow, over three years now since Matt was in the ICU/hospital for Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a rare, but life-threatening, idiosyncratic reaction to neuroleptic medications that is characterized by fever, muscular rigidity, altered mental status, and autonomic dysfunction. NMS often occurs shortly after the initiation of neuroleptic treatment, or after dose increases.
I always knew that mental health was a taboo topic, but I guess I never really knew how taboo it was until I went through all of this. It seems like everyone has an opinion about everything. It is sad that if someone has cancer or is involved in a horrific car accident, that there are go fund me accounts set up almost instantly, but if someone is in the ICU/hospital for depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder or any other mental illness, no one wants to even talk about it. I remember setting up a go fund me account for Matt and one of his relatives "scolded" me for sharing it to his Facebook page because we were "begging" for money. Needless to say, Matt doesn't have much contact with that relative anymore. I just want people to know that mental illness is a disease just like cancer or diabetes and people with mental illness shouldn't be treated like a piece of garbage,
It is hard for me to talk about how Matt has treated me at times, how he has treated his family at times; or should I say, how mental illness has treated me and how mental illness has effected his family. It has not always easy. There was a point of time where I was so depressed that I barely got out of bed. I would lay in bed with my cell phone and barely moved. Mental illness has almost destroyed our family on more than one occasion.
So, this is what I ask of people today.
1. Be nice. You don't always know what your co-worker, cashier, stranger on the street or even your best friend is going through. All it takes is one smile or one hello to change a persons day from a negative to a positive.
2. Don't judge. There are always two sides to every story and if you don't know both sides of the story, who are you to judge? I will personally leave that one up to God.
3. Support your loved ones and friends that have mental health issues. Ask them if they are OK. Ask them what has been going well in their lives, ask them what hasn't been going well in their lives. It is OK to ask questions.