UNITED STATES-By now, most of you have heard about the tragedy that took place on May 23, where Elliot Rodger went on a murder spree killing six people, before killing himself. It’s an unspeakable, horrific tragedy, where it appears mental illness may have been at the root of the chaos. I cannot even stomach how many times the nation in the past two years have dealt with unspeakable tragedies where lives were lost for no apparent reason at all.
My biggest fear is that we are not doing enough to combat the growing concerns surrounding mental illness in America. It’s like this dirty little secret that no one wants to discuss. It’s that one thing that everyone gasps about when they hear it. Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of; the problem is the government needs to take more action to help communities, states and the nation to address such issues before it becomes too late. It’s like we live in this bubble where what transpires outside of the ‘norm’ in America is just that.
There is no reason for us to address it; if we don’t it will eventually go way. That’s the problem; it’s not going away its consistently getting worse. Rodgers posted a disturbing YouTube video not long before he went on his rampage. Once again social media is front and center in the chaos that has ensued. I can’t help but suspect that the suspect was a victim of bullying, but that does not justify any of his actions. His parents attempted to get help for their troubled son, but it may have been a little too late.
So America what can, what should we do? First and foremost, we have to take a proactive approach of de-stigmatizing the notion of mental illness. I don’t care who you are, at some point EVERYONE has dealt with a bout of mild depression. Most get over it, but in some cases it becomes a bit more extensive. My concern is mental illness is not something to be ashamed of; it’s okay to ask and reach out for help. We all need it every so often.
My concern is everyday citizens, parents, friends, understanding and recognizing systems ranging from Bipolar Disorder to Schizophrenia that could lead to dangerous behavior. This is not to say every single individual with bipolar disorder is dangerous, it’s to recognize that with medication the disease is treatable.
Treatment is key, eliminating sanitariums for those who suffer from mental illness does not help win the war, and it further makes it difficult. We’re placing these individuals out in the world, without the tools that he or she may need to survive. Nothing gets better without people taking action to remedy the problem to begin with.
Mental illness is a MAJOR PROBLEM IN AMERICA! We’ve discussed one too many violent shootings or incidents where mental illness may have been a root cause of the chaos. The discussion comes to the forefront briefly, and then suddenly disappears. Why aren’t we discussing it more? Let’s have an informative dialogue about mental illness, the various illnesses that have seen a spike and those that have lowered the effects of violent tendencies or suicidal thoughts thanks to medication.
