OP ED EXAMPLE

Student work prepared for PR writing and media class at VCU

What if I Told You that You Can Save Lives?

I was only four or five-years-old when I attended my grandfather’s funeral, but I remember it vividly. I cannot say that about many other events at that age. I remember as my mother gave her eulogy and sobbed. To this day, I rarely see her that vulnerable, that overcome by sadness. I will never forget it. My grandfather had schizophrenia. Though he attempted to take medication to combat the mental illness, he himself did not see anything wrong and often stopped soon after he started. He didn’t recognize his illness or realize how dangerous it could be to himself and others. An article on Mental Illness Policy Org states, 55% of individuals not taking medication did so because they did not believe they were sick. The single most significant reason why individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder fail to take their medication is because of their lack of awareness of their illness (anosognosia).

It quickly became clear to my grandmother who bared the brunt of his anger and alcohol abuse. It became clear to my mom when she would sit at the top of the stairs and hear as her parents argued: verbally, physically. It was no longer safe to live with him. My grandmother had no choice but to gather her children and leave him when my mother was ten years old. Their family of five moved in with a relative that lived nearby until they could afford their own home. A home that was much too small for four growing kids. My grandfather would often show up randomly at their new residence as they grew up without him. Sometimes, he would simply stand outside. Other times, he would make a scene: banging on the windows or the door. Continuously unacknowledged (due to fear and uncertainty of the events that would follow if they did,) the visits became less frequent. My mom and her sisters went their separate ways, off to college, to different states. Her brother remained in the little town in Pennsylvania living with his mother. No more visits. My schizophrenic grandfather was homeless most of his life after his family left him. He passed away far too young on the streets, frozen to death.

My mom has fond memories that she holds close and relays to my sister and I about how her dad used to take her and her siblings fishing, camping, hiking in the woods. He loved the outdoors, nature. I think my mom’s love of flowers and gardening comes from him. I am told my mother took my sister and me to meet him once, but I was a baby. I have no memory of him. I wish I did. More than that, I wish I could give my mother more time with her father. I don’t know who I would be or where I would be without mine by my side as I navigate through life. No one should have to grow up without a father especially not when there are actions that can be taken to possibly prevent it.

One in five adults experienced mental illness last year, according to NAMI.org. The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) is a non-profit organization interested in helping the lives U.S. residents that have been affected by mental illnesses. We do so by advocating, educating, supporting, and raising awareness. NAMI’s overall goal is to facilitate an environment that affected people feel supported and willing to seek help in.

At NAMI, we focus mainly on raising awareness. Awareness is key. Mental illnesses are very real. They are just as real as physical illnesses. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eight million people die each year due to mental illness. That is, eight million deaths could be averted if people with mental illness were to die at the same rate as the general population. These disorders are taking lives. Lives that may have been otherwise physically healthy, that could have gone on for years and years. Lives that had families, futures ahead of them, dreams to be fulfilled. Lives that could have been saved. It is imperative that all people educate themselves on what a mental illness is, the symptoms that occur with them, the physical and mental effects of them, the tragic events that can happen if they go untreated. People with a mental illness must know the signs to be able to identify one in themselves and seek help, treatment. People close to them must be able to recognize a mental illness and provide support and help if the person is not able or willing to do it themselves. These serious illnesses can NOT be self-treated or ignored. Save your own life. Save the life of someone you love, someone you care about, someone you know, or someone you may have met once. Visit NAMI.org to learn more and help to change the narrative of peoples’ lives with mental illnesses.

Lindsey Daniels

NAMI Vice President

Email: llindseyyd@gmail.com

Phone number: 703-371-3988

Websites used:

https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/medical/medication-noncompliance.html

https://NAMI.org

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/directors/thomas-insel/blog/2015/mortality-and-mental-disorders.shtml