In recent news, a woman's body was found in a river. Mere hours before, the corpses of her baby son and toddler daughter were discovered in their family bath tub. The media zoned in on the grisly developments and provided information on the woman's mental health.
She had been diagnosed with post-partum depression despite Facebook photo entries that showed otherwise. She seemed far removed from any lows or struggles with mental health.
At the risk of suggesting blame, many have yet to stop and take time to consider our attitudes on such difficult issues. When we hear of children being harmed by their own parents and guardians, do we stop first to ponder if there may be victims on both ends?
In other words, do we allow our quick reactions to take the side of the harmed children and lay blame on the adults in the situation? Or, do we allow for the possibility of the adults also as victims? Devastating as it may be, the adults who bring harm to their own children may be very ill.
I have been suffering from mental illness for almost six years. I am still haunted by feelings of deep regret, debilitating shame and enormous disbelief that there were moments when I thought about harming my own flesh and blood. There were times when I've looked down at my darling child and felt both intense love and fear for/at him. I heard my own voice warn me to run and seek help for my baby's sake. AND I also heard another one of my own voice tell me to "save" him from this wicked, cruel, hard hearted world.
During those moments, I wanted to save us from this world. There is another utopia where we can exist in complete happiness and love.
Would you take the time to slow your first assumptions? Would you care less about placing blame and more about removing the taboo of mental illness? Mental sufferers will thank you. I thank you.
