As I See It: Combating mental illness

These past several days have been packed with issues that have caused me to reflect upon my role in society and my individual and collective contribution in making better. Upon hearing that Robin Williams had committed suicide, I was devastated. He had been one of my favorite comedians whether it was as Mork in “Mork and Mindy”or as the voice of Lovelace in “Happy Feet.” He was hilarious! How could someone who brought so much joy and laughter to others be so unhappy? 

Mental illness is a cruel disease that warps one’s reality and robs them of a normal life. Williams suffered from alcohol addiction and had been battling depression for years. To those of us not in his personal circle, he appeared normal. But behind closed doors, I wonder was he indeed showing signs of worsening disease: poor appetite, increased alcohol intake, withdrawal, etc. As adoring fans all we can do at this point is pray for his family and hope that we are recognizing the warning signals from our loved ones and that we are choosing to intervene early instead of too late. 

As I watched the news the morning prior to my writing this, I pondered what I could possibly say as it related to the violence and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. Black males being handcuffed, bodies sprawled against police cars, broken windows, looting, riot gear and much more were all scenes paraded over the TV screens. The perceived sentiment was anger and frustration from the protesters as well as the law enforcement and community at large. A once quiet little municipality was now the focus of national news following the death of an unarmed African American teen by a police officer.

I viewed the situation from several vastly different angles:

• dreaded fear and anxiety of black mothers regarding their sons;
• the uneasiness a spouse endures when their loved one puts on his/her police uniform for the day; the overwhelming sadness the local pastors must feel when they have to eulogize yet another child from a senseless death; and
• the complicated relationship our country has with guns and gun control.

The cynical side of me chuckled within because I realized that the looters, if prosecuted, would eventually be in the predatory system of incarceration and they would at least have access to healthcare and mental health. Furthermore, they could participate in group therapy and finally begin to realize that they have a problem with anger management and need help with conflict resolution. 

Over the years, the number of patients I have cared for who have either been victims, witnesses, or perpetrators of violence have increased. I am amazed sometimes at the fluidity of responses from these individuals when describing what I would deem as horrific events. Their descriptions are vivid, raw, and sometimes emotionally unattached. 

After these encounters, I am often left numb. Have we become such a violent society that murders are routine and commonplace? Where is the empathy or compassion? 

A year or so ago, following the Trayvon Martin tragedy, the country was in uproar about the “stand your ground” law in Florida but today you hardly hear it discussed on the news.  Twenty-eight people, including children, were murdered in Sandy Hook, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 and again, the country was devastated but the outcry regarding gun control fizzled out quickly under the powerful influences of the National Rifle Association, NRA.  In 2012, Chicago had over 500 murders, a great number of them young people.  However, those numbers did little to change the political discussion regarding such daily atrocities.

You may be asking yourself how is this relevant to Your Health Matters? These events matter because they are alert signs to future problems. If you cannot sleep because you are worried that your teen may be pulled over by the police, this may may cause you to eventually experience headaches and stomach pain. What if you are 10 years old and witnessed your childhood friend gunned down in your neighborhood? That child is likely to start having nightmares, flashbacks (PTSD-post traumatic stress disorder) and this will eventually cause poor school performance which then leads down the dead-end road of the penal system. No job. No healthcare. And we have already learned how economic inequality has a negative effect on the status of your health.

Research has been done on the effects of witnessing violence but not enough if you ask me.  Therefore, the events in our community are larger than they appear on the surface and need to be taken seriously for multiple reasons. As I have said on numerous occasions, mental health is important and it must be cared for with the same degree of intensity as any other aspect of our health.

Yours in Service,

Denise Hooks-Anderson, M.D.

Assistant Professor

SLUCare Family Medicine

yourhealthmatters@stlamerican.com