Don’t waste your angels!

Unfortunately, some family members and close friends can abandon the mental health consumer during a mental health crisis. Such people may offer nothing more than a request that the mental health consumer keeps away from them. My experience has taught me to let such people go and not pursue them with explanations that attempt to justify yourself. It is not the duty of the mental health consumer to try to cure the cowardice of family members and close friends who fear they may have to sacrifice something if they support someone in a mental health crisis. On the other hand, don’t waste your angels. You may find that some of your friends and family members are surprisingly supportive, and it’s those people with whom you should share. You may find that you can make new friends at a mental health support group run by one of the mental health advocacy organizations. I have found that even in my darkest moments, people I hardly knew stopped to ask after me and followed up on that by checking on me regularly. Whoever the angels are, foster their friendship rather than pursue lost causes. 

Leave a Comment