This Thing is Real

So since my big debut on Huffington Post, I haven’t written a blog in a few weeks (LOL!). I know, I know, no need to get the big head after just one national pick up, but I am still riding high!

Things have been going along since my last entry. A few bumps in the road, but hey, that’s the life of a mom. 

I did want to take a bit of serious turn in this post though.  Most of you know my hair is natural right (meaning I don’t have a perm)?  One of the founders of a line of natural hair care products  (that I’ve used a lot) called Miss. Jessie's recently committed suicide. Titi Branch was a beautiful 45-year-old woman with a bright future and a thriving business.  She and her boyfriend had even started a recent line for men. 

In the days since her suicide I’ve heard people say, things like “wow, she had so much going for her,” or, “wonder what was so terrible that she thought her only choice was to take her own life?” Some even wanted to debate suicide as a religious issue and whether she had time to ask God for forgiveness before she died.

Questions and comments like these still show that society can sometimes struggle with understanding that depression isn’t a choice. And while a person may seem as if they have the world at their fingertips, dealing with a mental illness colors the way they see the world and everything around them. People battling depression and other forms of mental illness don’t’ choose to be mentally ill or suicidal, anymore than a person can choose to have cancer.

Branch is one in a line of many celebrities and notables who, over the past few months, have take their own lives because they lost their battle with depression. According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, the holiday season is always a difficult time for someone battling depression or any form of mental illness. Oftentimes it is because they are missing a loved one who has passed away, or their financial situation may have changed and they can’t afford to purchase gifts the way they have in the past.  While those kinds of situations can make anyone sad, it is often intensified for someone battling mental illness.

I urge all of you to take the time to check on a loved one battling mental illness during this time of year.  Make sure to encourage them to venture out of the house and spend time with friends and family.  If you haven’t heard from him or her in a day or so, stop by or call.

And if you or someone you love is struggling during this holiday season, or any time of year, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. And if a loved comes to you in despair, don’t judge them or waste time trying to understand how something that seems trivial could send them into a tailspin – just get them help and do it quickly.

I know I have said it in the past but I think it’s worth repeating: remember that mental illness is real; just because you can’t see it on an X-ray or an ultrasound, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

For more information on the signs to watch for or how to help, visit www.nami.org

TITI BRANCH - May You Rest in Peace