The Topic of Mental Health is a Tough Topic

Many of us reading this post may have friends or family members suffering with variations of Mental Health disorders. The reality is that Mental Health is a serious condition just like other conditions that many of us are dealing with. One of the challenges about discussing this topic is the stigma that wraps itself around the one who is suffering. My post today is to bring awareness to and the challenges of tying to assist someone suffering with with a Mental Health disorder. This photo is not here to shame anyone its to show the reality of whats happening on our streets. Drugs are one key component to drive someone to homelessness but the othe major key is untreated mental health conditions and encouraging someone to get help. Our friend here ( we will call him Al) is an elderly man who has a untreated Mental Health condition and he refuses our assitance. (Al) will take our lunches and some water but refuses clothing and connections to mental health providers. (Al) is elderly and vulnerable to something bad happening to him outdoors. With out knowing (Al) you would think that he is just an old man wandering and drunk (a bum) but that so far from the truth. (Al) is a man that has value, has a family and is caught in a cycle of untreated mental health. One of the things that I have observed over the years is that when someone has a broken leg or arm there is a cast placed to help the mending process and those of us in the community seeing these individuals understand that there is a broken bone because we see a cast. Well with mental heath there is no cast to put on and for us in the community we must realize that just because we dont see a cast on someones head we should not assume that everything is back to normal. What we will continue to do with (Al) is love him engage him reach out continually to mental health providers and believe that (Al) will say yes to assistance. You might be asking why cant they just pick him up? As outreach provider to the homeless I think that as well but one thing I have learned dealing with mental health challenges is that if someone is not a harm to themselves or others they can not be picked up against their will. My prayer as a Clergy Member is that these laws would be revisited and that a new approach could be established with engaging friends who are suffering with Mental Heath. During my prayer time today this passage came to my thought

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”