The Mental Health Crisis

Every day is the same: I wake up with my boyfriend, scurry to get ready, and then walk home as he heads to work. The TV turns on and I go about my day of writing, usually looking up when a high speed chase breaks the normalcy that is Wendy followed by the news at noon. A few days ago I was having a normal day, but then a mass shooting occurred and shattered my routine. It’s not new to say I was devastated to see an anchor pop up and deliver such a somber story, but I was.

Recalling a shooting like this before Columbine is something I can’t do. I was in middle school when that went down and honestly, it made me look differently at the solemn kids who fit that mold. You don’t mean to, you don’t want to judge a book before at least reading the back, but it’s something innate in all of us. Nevertheless, Columbine came and went and with it more and more of these mass shootings over the years have continued, and it’s never easy to watch. We often think why; I agree with comedian Mike Lawrence when he tweeted about the latest this week, “It’s not like we’ve ever found out a mass shooter’s motivations and thought ‘well that makes sense.’” Killing someone or someones will never be okay, and I think we need more help for those who are mentally hurting.

I won’t say the Oregon shooter’s name, because as Anderson Cooper has taught us, we don’t need to glorify the killer, but remember those lost. But this guy obviously was going through something. He asked victims their religion before he shot them down, and because of something going on in his life that he couldn’t deal with, he took it out on others. Killing someone and then dying yourself will not fix your heartache. You may think you’re alone in this and that you’re the only one feeling as lost as you do, but you’re not. Other people feel the way you do, and others want to help. That’s the problem with mental illness though. It can be hard to realize that you can get help and talk to someone about it.

If you’re ever feeling that down and out that you think going into a place of education, a theater, a church, any public place and shooting people is okay – DON’T. Your life can get better – you just have to reach out and ask for help. They are just trying to learn, watch a movie, pray, or go about their daily lives. If you chose to act upon your thoughts, you could ruin not only their lives, but their family and friends, as well as your own.

So if you’re ever feeling low you can reach out to friends, family, or a trusted authority figure. You can always call the suicide hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1 (800) 273-8255, or you can get general information on mental health and find local treatment Monday through Friday 8am-8pm EST at 1‑877‑SAMHSA7.