I just finished up with a great TV series on Netflix called the United States of Tara, which depicts the life of a woman with multiple personalities. I highly recommend it for not only the entertainment value but for people to see what its like to live with someone who has mental health issues. It is no secret that my family has battled for many years what its like to support a schizophrenic son, or in my case, brother. You see, mental illness is just exactly as it says, an illness. In some instances it is temporary, but others it is a life long battle. United States of Tara, in my opinion, appropriately depicted the struggle of wondering if this trip to the hospital, this psychiatrist, this act of tough love will be the cure. One thing I have learned is that I never know if this instance of clarity for my brother will last a day, a week, a month, or however long. I do know that I have to cherish those good moments, which sometimes can be extremely hard knowing what all has happened when he has his bad days. The last episode of the show really got to me though because it finally showed how much mental illness takes a toll on family members. I cannot begin to count the number of times my parents have been shamed for not knowing how to raise their child, and told that if they just did x, y, and z, everything would be better. They have duct taped my family back together more times than I could possibly count even though they themselves are broken. I have one piece of advice for the public: dont give advice unless you are willing to stick around through the roller coaster ride. If you havent noticed for every up in a roller coaster, there are equal downs, and I have seen people bail far too many times through those. It has taken me a long time to understand that if I want to truly love my brother, I am going to hurt. You better believe Im in for the ride because if theres one thing I want to see change in our society, its for mental illness to stop being taboo. It is messy, it is evident, and it is an issue that we need to treat just like any other health issue. Love one another, and cherish the good moments, friends.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 01:42:52 +0000
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