I Am the Face of Mental Illness
Shocked? Never would have guessed? Yea, so was the world when they heard about Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain losing their battles to mental illness in May!
Well it’s my truth and I’m tired of keeping secrets. Secrets create and contribute to sickness. The truth is freeing and healing and I’m ready to share my story.
I am the face of mental illness…a warrior who has fought major depression and anxiety for over 20 years….taker of countless depression meds, patient of therapists too many to count, patient on suicide watch in an in-patient facility…. all while hiding and keeping the façade to the world that I had it all together. Oh, I thought I was good at hiding it for years, but many of you saw the cracks. The deception only further contributed in allowing my illness to win.
It’s exhausting to hide….to be inauthentic. But why do we continue to do it? Because we are scared of your judgement and fear your inability to understand or relate. It takes a long time for us to accept our illness…we don’t want to admit that we are mentally ill. We are ashamed to show our illness because we’ve been taught that mental illness is shameful. We are scared to be called “crazy” and fear you will think we can “go off the deep end” any second. So much ignorance and stigma in our country continues to push us into darkness and hiding.
You don’t judge people who battle illnesses of the body like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. When are we going to accept that illnesses of the brain are also illnesses of the body? When are we going to come along-side victims of mental illness with compassion and love the exact same way we come along-side those who are dying from other illnesses? Mental illness kills and we are seeing it take more victims each and every day. We have to do something differently to save lives!
Mental illness does not discriminate…. It is your neighbor, your co-worker, your friend, your family. More often than not, it is the person who appears to have it all together… the person who is successful by the world’s standards. Mental illness doesn’t care if you are rich, poor, old, young, black, white, any color in between, doctor, fast food worker, christian, atheist…It DOES NOT discriminate….no one is untouchable.
Why now am I sharing? Why am I revealing my deepest, darkest daily struggles? Why don’t I care how you will judge me? Why am I putting this out here despite how it may affect my personal life, my career, my family from this day forward? Because I understand. Because I’m sick and tired of the mental health stigma and the ignorance surrounding it. Because I am an advocate for better mental health care in our country. Because I just can’t stand by while more people die!
If you have people in your life who you know struggle with mental illness, contact them regularly, let them know that you care, be there for them any time of day or night, get them the help they need even when they can’t do it for themselves! You too can make a difference.
If you are the face of mental illness also, I am here…reach out to me for support. If you need help right now, call 1-800-273-8255 (National Suicide Prevention Hotline) or text “home” to 741741.
I am Brooke Chaney and I am the Face of Mental Illness.
You are brave beyond belief to openly discuss this topic. I hear often how “strong” I am. The same people have no idea I have had days so dark that simple waking up on the morning and living through the day was a challenge. I know your suffrage and am so sorry you too experience this. Yet, I couldn’t be more proud to call you friend for sharing your words, your truths, and you life with others so they don’t feel alone. We are all in this life thinf together and we are better together. Continue to be the change, sweet lady.
Thank you for your message Leann! This is why I am doing this…to reach out to others who know the battle. We are not alone and when we know there are others who understand, it makes it easier and better for us in our daily battles. Love you!
My deepest admiration and love for you Brooke. You are giving others, myself included, the courage and hope to step forward and reveal our true selves. Life has taken all of us in so many directions, but my love for you never ceased…and now, with tears in my eyes, I feel a bit closer to you and my heart doesn’t feel quite so dark and heavy. Thank you for your bravery and honesty… I look forward to your (daily?) blog! Love you ❤
I love you so much too! May we break the cycle of secrets and dysfunctional mental health issues in our family that has gone on for too many generations! I hope you come visit me when I move back to WA. I’d love to rekindle our relationship as cousins and friends!
I am thankful you shared just that small portion of yourself when we met up in WA! You gave me the courage I needed to share my story and begin an even deeper healing and I can’t tell you how much that means. You are an awesome woman of God Brooke Chaney! Remember!
Woogena, I had no idea that I was “part” of the big picture of you sharing your story! And this is why I’m doing what I’m doing…it’s not easy but you and I are warriors that need to be seen and heard for others’ healing and our own.