I sat down to write this month’s topic of the month and I was distracted by the elephant in the room. It was wrapped in stigma and discrimination and I saw how it was afraid to speak out due to the fear of not being accepted by the community. Mental illness and mental health is that big issue in the room that makes people uncomfortable and no one seems to want to talk about it. We have cladded the issue with such negative words and connotations that people would rather die than address the issue by seeking help. The words for this month’s topic of the month have rearranged themselves into a eulogy for all the people who have launched themselves from the heights of no longer being able to cope and landed on what they hoped is the sweet taste of what it means to be at peace. It is the elephant in the room blowing its trunk like an ambulance siren signalling the issue of mental health as an emergency. It is saying it is okay not to be okay. But most importantly it is saying please seek help to be okay so that you are not tempted when the elephant in the room grows large and tall enough for you to jump off from.
