1 in 5

A study was revealed today that 1 in 5 Americans are mentally ill. They define mental illness as from severely depressed to suicide attempts. We live in a pressure cooker society more than ever, what with the current state of the economy, etc, but 1 in 5?? This means when you go out for dinner with two other couples, someone at the table falls within this category of mental illness. I know I am using a silly analogy, but I still cannot believe it is so high. Are most of us that good at masking how we really feel? Can we fake it in front of people around us so that they would never guess how truly anguished we feel? Am I not noticing someone I care about who is suffering in silence with this heavy burden? I can't stop thinking about this study and its implications. I know I have been depressed at times in my life, not completely hopeless, but definitely not want to get out of bed depressed. Was I mentally ill at that moment? How did I snap out of it? Can you help someone else snap out of it or can they only do it for themselves? Telling someone, "It's not that bad. It'll get better. Buck up.", really doesn't do any good. I have found that when people are sad, listening is the most powerful medicine. You don't need to have an answer for their problems, because, in reality, you probably don't have the answer. Just listen. It could make all the difference.
I am grateful for only being a little crazy!