Genie, you're free....

Hi pretty people....

  I think you'd have to live in a cave today to not of heard the tragic news about Robin Williams suicide. He was a wonderful funny man, who's movies, though sometimes seemingly slap stick always had a deeper message for humanity embedded in them. When I was very sick last September before hospital, I wanted something that reminded me of my childhood, something familiar, and as you'll see on my Instagram, it was the movie Aladdin. Robin just had that power, to change people's day or even their lives. Sadly he couldn't work the genie's magic on his own.

   Robin was always vocal about his struggle with alcoholism and depression, which seemed so contradictory to his on screen personas. It's often the case where the people who seem like the life and soul of the party are really struggling inside with their own demons. It also goes to show that substance abuse can affect everyone, not just 'weak' people who can't 'get it together' or down and outs or people who just can't afford to go to rehab.  

  Mental health doesn't discriminate, rich or poor, black or white, old or young. It doesn't make you weak that you struggle with it sometimes. I often hear people say, 'I don't want to burden people with my problems',  and it's true in some cases people can't cope with what you tell them. BUT in the majority of cases people will do their very very best to help other people. I always say to people you'll bother people a lot more by having them come to your funeral, rather than taking a few minutes out of their day to talk. It sounds harsh and dramatic, but as we've seen by Robin's death, it can often be the outcome when people struggle. 

                       SO REACH OUT!!!


   I can't stress this enough to people. Help is out there. Some times its talking therapy, sometimes it's pills and sometimes it's both. For some people it's going home and screaming into a pillow when they get home from work and that's enough for them and that's ok too. Dealing with your mental health does not have to be a long term issue. I think sometimes people feel if they admit they're struggling, it's opening a can of worms that they will always have to deal with, this is not the case! But these short term 'bouts' are just as important to deal with if they become too much, as the long term concerns. 

   I've recently noticed how in my articles about mental health I haven't put any links to organisations which can help. Mostly I have done this as I don't know where you the reader are from, and also I don't want to recommend any service over the other as different ones help different people.  However, I am going to put some links below this time and hopefully they can be of some help to people. 

Rest in peace Robin and thanks for the laughs, gone but your legend lives on. x

www.stpatricks.ie - St Patrick's Psychiatric Hospital Dublin.

www.mentalhealthireland.ie - general mental health 

www.ie.reachout.com - youth mental health

www.pieta.ie - selfharm and suicide

www.mentalhealthamerica.net - mental health in America

www.mentalhealth.org.uk - mental health in the U.K

www.mind.org.uk - UK charity around mental health

Please note that these are simply sites I googled and am in now way affiliated with.