Deacon Tom Lambert

I often refer to mental illness as a “no casserole” disease. By that I mean when mental illness occurs in a family - no one comes to the door bringing casseroles. Thirty years ago, my wife had open-heart surgery and while she was in the hospital and at home recovering, our doorbell never stopped ringing. People were bringing casseroles for us to eat. I never realized how many ways there were to cook chicken. Twenty-five years ago, when my daughter was hospitalized for mental illness, no one came to the door…..Mental illnesses can be very isolating for the person and the family.

Sadly, the stigma surrounding mental illnesses reinforces the old false stereotypes that keep people from seeking treatment and getting help or (as in our case) knowing where to get help. The stigma persists today despite what we now know --- that Mental illness is a disease of the brain, and is not due to poor parenting, not due to a weak character, or due to a lack of faith.  Mental illness is a no-fault disease.  It’s not something you can just pull yourself out of. Just as you wouldn’t tell someone who has cancer to “just get over it,” if you have depression or any major mental illness you need help for your illness.  

We also know that mental illnesses are more common than many people realize:

• According to the National Institute of Health, in a given year about one in four to five people experience a diagnosable mental disorder
• For one in 17, it is persistent and severe
• One in five families are affected.

The facts are Mental illness is a major medical issue in our communities yet it is one of the least talked about and least supported. 

The good news is that these brain illnesses are treatable and manageable.

Unfortunately, because of the stigma, people and families are often reluctant to get help or seek treatment. And once people do seek help they run into a mental health system in Illinois that often fails them due to a lack of continuity of care and funding. In the past few years, due to lack of funding, many providers have had to severely cut back on programs putting people at risk and creating cycles of crisis for families.