Today, an "introvert" student, a young male from Pennsylvania using two knives to stab 20 students, made me think of another sign to look for in possibly mentally unstable people.
A conversation that I had with my dad, when I was in junior high school, was about one of my younger brothers who was professing suicide. I asked him if he would do it. Dad said, most likely not, it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for.
He never did. I've learned that those type are generally attention seekers. Yet, we have to be ever vigilant on any form of mental instability and help whenever possible. Our intuition should be saying ... pay attention and help if we are able.
Just as my dad did with my brother when he sat him down and had a heart to heart talk with him. Just as he did with me when he had a military friend talk to me, when I was a teen, because I broke down in tears one day for no apparent reason. I later discovered this "friend" was a psychologist.
In today's world, we have too many people with their noses stuck in their computers or phones and not always seeing what's going around us ... not always caring what's going on around us. It's only part of the problem because even if we do see something, we may not know the complete picture to help us react, but we are also told not to over react.
I wonder what defines over reacting? I wonder what would have happened if my dad didn't do what he did for my brother and I?
To me, seeing something we know to be wrong and not doing anything about it reminds me of a quote by M. L. King, Jr. that a friend posted on Facebook today: "Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
I'm glad my dad, or mom, never looked away, because I learned from the psychologist that afternoon, outside standing on my porch, that I need to talk about my problems. I told him I didn't share my feelings because I felt no one cared to hear them. His words will be ingrained in my brain forever. "It doesn't matter if they care or even listen, you need to talk regardless. It helps to get things off your chest."
Now, I verbally talk and type talk to get it off my chest (unburden my soul). Some may consider what I have to say unimportant but I don't mind. I'm saying what I need to say to release my emotions. I even advise others to do the same by blogging. It doesn't matter if we have anyone read it because it's supposed to help us express ourselves not necessarily save another. As I told my family: I may not be here to save the world but if one person is helped because of what I do that's fine by me.
Maybe in doing so, someone will be guided by my, or another's, sharing of feelings and help them learn to do the same. It may help them realize they're not alone and hopefully seek help if necessary. After all, they have to allow that door of help to be open. With all the information and avenues of help today, it certainly boggles my mind why no one would seek help and would only allow violence to themselves or another.
Maybe it's the stigma of being tagged crazy by their peers. Maybe the information is on the Internet, like this website below, but we're not allowed to teach it in school. That should change, teachers and students both need to be aware, as well as stopping the name calling that could be associated with any mental condition.
http://www.psychiatry.org/mental-health/more-topics/warning-signs-of-mental-illness
I do have some compassion for them because I know mental instability can run deep ... sometimes carried over from past lives ... programming that may never go away in one lifetime, especially if their programming is used to go against them by another.
Yes, this can happen too. However, I'll save that for another blog.
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