Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing

Many of us believe there are two types of illnesses-real illnesses like cancer and heart disease, and “pretend” diseases like depression and anxiety.  Although no one would choose to have cancer or heart disease, the afflicted can be sure of the support of the  UU community; the majority of their friends, family, and acquaintances-we sense their fear, their physical pain, their Life drifted astray from what security normal daily existence provides.  We hurt for them and their circumstances.  Part of that empathy no doubt arises from the realization that they may be, at least statistically, more at risk of an untimely death-and we identify with our own mortality.

The sufferer of a mental illness walks a different path.  Perhaps because a majority of people have never experienced severe anxiety or depression (but have experienced sufficient pain, illness,  and fear to extrapolate the plight to the individual with a serious physical illness), we pretend that mental illness is at worst a minor inconvenience, certainly no worse than the common cold or a sprained muscle.  But make no mistake, mental illness kills: suicide due to mental illness is the number one cause of death of adults into early middle age.  Perversely, the emotional support the mentally ill person might benefit from is denied them due to the “stigma” of the illness.  I would suggest replacing the over-used and now nearly-meaningless term “stigma” with the word “heretic”-which has its etymological base in “to turn away”.  As a society, we “turn away” from those troubled individuals in need of our humanity.  Perhaps realizing we are “turning away” from our brethren in need, we would be more aware and more caring, for truly, we are all brothers and sisters of the same creation.

For information on the UUCWC anxiety/depression/bipolar support group, see www.hughes13.com .