“If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk.” – Robert Baden-Powell
As someone who has always enjoyed literature, a movie or tv show with an intriguing and complex plot, or simply listening to a good friend tell a story, whether it be distressing or comedic, I can attest to these words. Perhaps it’s why I’ve always spent so much time consuming media or wanting to spend time with friends. The things spoken to me by others have changed me, for better or worse, and I can only hope that the things I have said have done the same for others.
In the early days of 2016, I struggled deeply with traumatic memories from my past. I was overwhelmed, a grad student with difficult supervisors and demanding work. I was away from home and no longer surrounded by close friends because I had recently graduated from college. I was no stranger to depression and anxiety, but this time it was worse than before, and I felt like I had lost the will to live. I would wake up feeling intense dread and never wanted to be alone. So much so that it would be difficult to do the work that I needed to do, and I would become even more stressed and anxious because I had procrastinated. This was when I decided it was time to prioritize my mental health. I had been lucky enough to attend a college that provided mental health services (such as counseling) and had spoken with a therapist who helped me deal with several things I had already been struggling with. I had a positive experience, and somehow I knew that finding more help would enable me to work through the mental suffering I was going through at that time. To this day, I remark that it was such a blessing and so beneficial. I know I wouldn’t have been able to deal with the various things life had thrown at me—the number one being my mother’s passing in 2018 from colon cancer.
My access to mental health care has helped me understand the absolute necessity of having accessible care. Regardless of someone’s circumstances, we are all the same. We all need help. And irrespective of how you are struggling – whether in a safe environment or a dire situation, such as the place many people in the communities ICFP works in find themselves in, just the smallest act of care can be a matter of life and death.
No man is an island—we were not born to live alone. Ultimately I have learned that we all struggle with silent battles, and compassion is the only way forward. This is why ensuring everyone has access to life-changing care is so important.
ICFP’s work is essential because it helps shape the human person and allows them the life that everyone is entitled to. Additionally, mental health issues can affect every aspect of life. Some people only have the option of prioritizing just staying alive rather than seeking medical and professional help them escape their reality.
Having access to mental health care has changed my life. Perhaps that’s redundant to say as if it wasn’t already made clear. But I can’t emphasize it enough. This is why I believe every person, no matter where or why deserves to have the same opportunity.
-Olivia Leno, Community Highlight