Pulling my black suit out of the closet for a funeral, I realized how long it had been since I’d worn something this formal. The suit feels uncomfortable, as if it doesn’t fit him anymore.
COVID has brought us all to the brink of death. Suddenly, we ask ourselves those big questions of life. Who I am? Because I am here? God exists? He cares about me?
In response, “mental health” has become the new fad. Everyone talks about the meaning of life and this naturally turns into health and specifically mental health. COVID softened the stigma of mental illness, so people are starting to open up about their struggles.
welcome to my world
Welcome to my world. My name is Danei Edelen. I am president of the Brown County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. For over a decade, I have been writing about managing my mental health. After seeing a friend hospitalized again due to mania, I coined the phrase “Mental Health Warrior.” Today, I was alongside a mental health warrior dealing with the sudden death of a loved one.
Any traumatic experience, such as injury, mental illness, terminal illness, COVID, or the death of a loved one, makes you question your purpose and meaning in life on this planet.
Every morning you are faced with choices. Will you be assailed by the calamities of the day on your phone or will you find a better way to start your day?
Mental Health Warrior Creed
Over the past decade, I have created a mental health warrior creed to combat the stigma associated with mental health. What is a creed? According to Google, a creed is “a set of beliefs or goals that guide someone’s actions.” Soldiers in the military adopt a soldier’s creed. This psychologically helps them endure combat. As a mental health warrior, my faith in God gives me meaning and purpose in life.
Today we are going to focus on my first mental health warrior creed:
1. I am created in the image of God.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27. I find my identity in Christ Jesus versus seeing myself through the lens of the stigma of mental illness. According to the Bible, I am ready for a meaningful relationship with the God of the universe! As my father used to say, “The Bible is a book about relationships.” God wants an intimate relationship with each and every one of us! People are looking for life in the Universe, yet the Bible clearly expresses God’s deep love for us!
The reality is that each and every one of us must learn to overcome the negative self-talk so reinforced by our culture. In future columns, we’ll explore more about my mental health warrior credo, as well as the acceptance process. The fact that my black suit feels tight today echoes the restraint of mental illness stigma on my life. Welcome to the acceptance process. Welcome to true freedom. If you are suffering in silence, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Danei Edelen is the president of the NAMI Brown County Ohio chapter. Danei is also a spokesperson for His Will Homes. Danei is a Mental Health Advocate for the Brown County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
