Emotional Fracture

They put a cast on a broken ankle; they give medication to the patient recovering from surgery; they prescribe pain pills for someone with chronic migraines. And yet, the stigma remains with emotional health because you can't see it on an MRI. 

 Key facts from the World Health Organization;

• Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression. 
• Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. 
• More women are affected by depression than men. 
• Depression can lead to suicide. 
• There is effective treatment for mild, moderate, and severe depression. 

Check the Math 

Depression isn't a one stop emotional shop; it is a range. I deal with emotional setbacks often. I work; I have friends; I'm in a wonderful relationship; I function and carry on. I guess that's mild but it doesn't make the struggle any less for me. A past bad work experience; that presentation eleven years ago; that test I messed up at college. 

The amount of time I spend beating myself up over things no one even noticed, is exhausting. Some say it's not logical, but it's no less real to me. We need to stop messing around. My emotional hurdles are just as critical as your broken leg. This isn't a 5% thing; this isn't a "them" issue; this affects all of us. Something to ponder if this effects all of us.

Let's share some help for each other. __________________________________________________________________

How Are You?

Three words we say countless times every day. But how often do we wait for the answer, and more importantly, how often do we give the real answer? 

Everyone we know is going through something and it takes humility to understand someone's behavior could be affected by something going on in their life. It's been attributed to a few people but still true that far too often we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions. 

Pass the salt

I was in a situation last week where three of us were out for lunch. One buddy is going through a horrific divorce and the other friend doesn't know him all that well. Cue the awkward when friend number two decides to drop into friend number one's situation (which has been going on for two years) and lob a bunch of advice. Suffice it to say, the lunch ended abruptly. 

Hey, intentionally or unintentionally, we all do it and often we don't mean it. We want to help, offer some advice, and without proper context, purpose solutions. The most difficult challenge in the human condition is our emotional health. 

One in One

If you say you've never had an incident in your life, you're fooling yourself. We have all had at least one and most of us a lot more than one. It's not a splint for a dislocated shoulder or a cast for a fractured ankle; it's a confusing stream of physically undetectable symptoms we can't often describe. 

What bothers me may not even occur to you. What makes you doubtful might not register on my radar. Which gets us back to the compassion of others. So, let's try it this week. Ask someone how they are doing and wait for the answer. 

 You might help someone more than you know. __________________________________________________________________

No Shame Required

If you got a call from a friend or loved one who asked you to help them as they had just broken their arm, what would you do? You would obviously drop what you were doing, drive to their location, and take them to the hospital.  

Here's another scenario. What would you do if that same friend or loved one called you to say they were having some emotional issues? Dr. Sangu Delle shares his story about a dear friend who needed his help. 

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Something We All Share

They put a cast on a broken ankle; they give medication to the patient recovering from surgery; they prescribe pain pills for someone with chronic migraines. And yet, the stigma remains with emotional health because you can't see it on an MRI.

Key facts from the World Health Organization.

• Globally, it is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression.
• Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
• More women are affected by depression than men. 
• Depression can lead to suicide. 
• There is effective treatment for mild, moderate, and severe depression. 

I am certainly not a doctor or a science expert but I don't agree with some of these points. I believe almost every human on earth deals with at least one episode in their life. And if it's happening to you, it certainly isn't mild nor insignificant. No one is immune.  

Check the Math

Depression isn't a one stop emotional shop; it is a range. I deal with emotional setbacks often. I work; I have friends; I'm in a wonderful relationship; I function and carry on. I guess that's mild but it doesn't make the struggle any less for me.

A past bad work experience; that presentation eleven years ago; that test I messed up at college. The amount of time I spend beating myself up over things no one even noticed, is exhausting. Some say it's not logical, but it's no less real to me.

Reveal in Plain Sight

Naomi Judd publicly talked about her depression for years. She appeared on camera in various stages of emotional and physical distress. She did it to help others and yet her depression told her the big lie and her life was cut short on the day before she was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

We need to stop messing around. My emotional hurdles are just as critical as your broken leg. Enough tiptoeing around this health crisis that will take more lives than cancer. And death isn't the only result; most are struggling just to get through the day. This isn't a 5% thing; this isn't some "them" issue; this affects all of us. 

If it's something we share then let's share some help for each other. 

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