As we find ourselves collectively at a loss as to how to wrap our minds around what transpired yesterday, there are factors that must be understood and considered. Our difficulties making sense of all of this are only further compounded by the media that are simply reporting facts without context. This reporting only instills unfounded fear in our children.
Events such as this cause us to question all that we know. However, There are things that we do know for certain. Mental health issues must be understood and treated appropriately. When they are not, the outcomes are so very unfortunate. As a community we are always looking out for each other and wanting to help. This must extend to mental health as well. When it is that we are aware of someone that may be struggling with anything mental health related, or having difficulty managing, we must get past our bashfulness and reach out to appropriate parties, such as our Rabbanim to help facilitate that person getting the help that they need.
Klal Yisroel has many wonderful organizations that are here to help our community by providing mental health resources. However, they cannot be helpful to anyone if they are not contacted.
While there has been an increase in mental health awareness within the community, it is still far from where it needs to be. Mental illness is just as real as any physical illness, even though externally we cannot see it. We must accept this reality and respond as such. There are so many that are suffering in silence without having the clinical care or support that we need. We can no longer allow this to continue.
We have to be proactive in making sure that appropriate care is getting received and supported. Our pain and dismay cannot be for naught, it must galvanize as a community to be there for our brothers and sisters who are suffering.
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9 Responses
No one is perfect. That imperfection people today call “mental health illness”. That is NOT mental illness. Mental illness is schizophrenia and similar psychotic diseases where people cannot control their minds which is in this case where the mother killed her two children.
It’s pathetic that today there are more people than ever diagnosed with “mental health illnesses” and more people than ever going to “mental health professionals ” but yet there are more people committing suicide and more people depressed than ever before despite living in the most privileged materilistic environment than ever before. This is because this generation is experiencing SPIRITUAL illnesses more than ever before and all these armies of “mental health professionals ” cannot change the outcomes that spiritual illnesses bring.
@”philosopher” Writing off people’s mental health struggles as ‘spiritual illness’ without even trying to provide an alternative solution is ignorant and counterproductive.
For a philosopher you certainly did not think that comment through. The more people that check in on their mental health with professionals, and the less taboo the idea of mental health is, the more likely those who really need it will get help. Your diagnoses is entirely irrelevant. This tragedy could have been and can be prevented should there be a greater awareness of mental health. Comments like yours only suppress the issue.
I absolutely agree with “philosopher”.
As someone who deals with people who struggle with Anxiety etc. I can tell you that The term “Mental Illness” is used today for very many different issues. The overwhelming majority of people who struggle with Depression or Anxiety and even all forms of OCD’s, when they hear this type of a tragedy they freak out, because they are terrified of the notion that this could happen to them Chas VE’Shalom, that they can Chas Ve’Shalom lose their mind and do something to hurt someone else. This is because we bunch all Mental Illness together. Rest assured! this is NOT the case! THERE IS A HUGE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL PSYCHOSIS AND ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION OR OCD! Rest assured, if you are affraid of losing your mind, its the biggest sign that you are not this type of patient.. and you wont lose your mind. The people who are suffering from real Psychosis issues are not afraid that they will lose their minds..
arent groups like Ohel and Hasc doing this work already?
anon34nf:
Though your’re not saying what “philsopher” is saying either. I know mental health personally and by helping others in a patient-to-patient. More mental health cases because more are willing to talk about it – we are guilty of not providing enough services. Period.
I do see many people that don’t need meds right away or can do with less meds too. Yes, depression, anxiety, bipolar (there is “agitated depression and a biploral spectrum, if you don’t know), need meds many times. Psychologists in our community that can help a person spiritualy too, is rare and more should be encouraged to become that perfessional doctor.
All these fly-by-night therapist that have some kind of degrees – even those with masters in CBT, often miss the diagnosis and the patient they try to treat isn’t helped. Not only is a full education in Psychology needed but an understanding in medicine, along with being GOOD as a therapist, is very important. Maybe being there for the patient in a cring manner is most. Sorry to all those that try to mitigate and lessen the effect of Mental illness in our community – you’re perpetuating the situation and the longer we wait to recognise that there IS a problem, people will suffer.
Let’s hope that Hashem will heal all broken hearts
lakewoodbt:
I kone you mean well but the comment shows a lack of understanding what real mental health should look like. Ohal and Hasc are not effective for all kinds of mental illness. Maybe for severe acute illness, they are but for chroninc depression and anxiety – we need specialists in all our community areas. Just like internists – two in a mile radius; same with mental health. Mo difference.
A couple of thoughts:
1. There is a strong trend in the frum world of people getting very fast degrees or professional training. Whether this is ideal in other fields is open to debate, but in mental health it is really concerning. When you are searching for a therapist, please review the person’s credentials thoroughly. I am not saying this was a factor in this case- I don’t know the details of the case.
2. People will not be open about their mental health concerns and will hesitate to get treatment as long as these things continue to be so stigmatized. No one wants to be the nebach, the “not normal” family, the person who can’t marry off their children because no one wants to do a shidduch with a family where one of the parents, or the siblings, or the person themselves is on medication.
3. There is a tendency to say “people nowadays are just weak”. Whether this is true or not, it is unquestionably better for someone to go and get help than to live with untreated mental illness, whether it is severe (schizophrenia) or milder (depression). Nobody knows how many people used to have untreated mental illness and they and their families just suffered in silence, because there was no treatment or it was too stigmatized. Put bluntly, would you rather your fellow yid be “weak” but alive and functioning, or “strong” until they r”l did something terrible?
It not a Lakewood tragedy,it a Khal yisroel tragedy.We need to help mental health all over the world .Stop saying it a place ,so many people need extra help and love.We are a great nation so lets step up and help them .We can do it .