It is so distressing and difficult to cope with mental illness, and having loved ones who have attempted suicide, and have not got their lives back on track.
But the good news is, that the moment you stop being afraid and panicing, you have taken the first, most important, and most critical step to help your loved ones through a difficult period.
(I'm smiling as I write the following story )
The
Identical Twins by
Identical 30 year old twins are walking down different sides of the same street with gloomy faces.The first twin is seen by an old school friend walking in the opposite direction they haven't seen since leaving school. And some of the first words out of their friend's mouth are: “....oh you look so horrible.... I think you need counselling!”
25 years later after having received counselling and psychiatric help and medication, and having been institutionalised on so many times at several millions of dollas of cast to Australia taxpayers – the twin wakes up one day realising that they have never been married, never had children, and never had a job for the last 25 years since their old school friend had said: “....oh you look so horrible.... I think you need counselling!”
Meanwhile... at exactly the same moment on the other side of the street, the other identical twin has a gloomy face and is seen by an old school friend walking in the opposite direction they haven't seen since leaving school. They walk up, take one look at the gloomy face of their old schhol friend and exclaim: “It's so good to see you – I have often wondered how you are getting on – and I'm glad I bumped into you today because I think you need cheering up – let's go into this cafe and we'll have a nice cup of Bushell's tea or Nescafe coffee.”
25
years later, the twin has been looking after their grand-children and
fondly reflects on the day they need cheering up by their old school
friend who was always there for them, who attended their university
graduation, who was bridesmaid for their wedding, and who was
God-mother for their eldest daughter. The end.
Taking the initiative - Reflection for all on “The Identical Twins”
Can you imagine what would happen worldwide if any time anyone received a small cut that needed some disinfectant and a bandaid, instead someone observing called 000 or 911 and were able to convince the operator to dispatch an ambulance or an emergency medi-vac helicopter to render assistance?
In the same way, can you imagine what would happen worldwide if anytime you or I saw someone we knew (even if we didn't particually like them) who was gloomy...
and instead of ignoring them or avoiding them.... or wondering what was wrong with them... or in the first instance... telling them how horrible they looked and attempting to get them to seek counselling, to go to a doctor, go to a psychologist or a psychiatrist...
intead... make an on the spot decision and commitment to be there for them and shower them with unconditional non-judgmental love and kindness... over a cuppa or a coldie...
can you imagine what a big difference you would be making in someone else's life?
I know, because that's the guts of what I have done in my pro-life suicide prevention Christian ministry since I founded it on 15th May 1993.
The point is... even if someone has a serious mental illness, schitzophrenia, manic depressant, bi-polar, suffers from depression, or is receiving medical treatment...
everyone needs to be loved by and cared for by somebody... and an unconditionally loved and cared for person will always have the best possible chance of facing up to and dealing with whatever sort of setbacks, despair, anxiety, depression, adversity or bad luck that comes their way.
And personally... in the last 51 years.... I have never once met a person who was less important than me in the eyes of God, and that was not worth spending some time and perhaps the cost of a cappucino or two to cheer up. And that's the truth.
All
Australian & FNQ regional hospitals, nursing homes, primary &
secondary schools, colleges, & universities -
Bethelem Nursing
Home – Cairns Base Hospital – Cairns Private Hospital –
Cairns Village Life – Coral Sea Gardens / Mater Dei –
Good Samaritan Nursing Home - Gordonvale Hospital Palliative Care -
Mary Potter Nursing Home -
- RSL Farnorah Aged Care –
Particular colleges and schools especially: St Monica's College,
St Augustines College,
Our parish schools, St Mary's College,
OLHOL – Our Lady Help of Christians & St Gerrard Majella
Schools.
Particular Groups especially: parents, children,
principals, teachers, medical practitioners, carers, hospital staff
Lotus Glen Prisoners & Staff, all prisoners & jail staff,
Qld & Australian Police
Patrons & staff of all Australian
gaming venues – especially, Reef Casino, Cazalys, Brothers
Leagues Club, Cairns RSL, Edge Hill Bowls Club, Cairns Bowls Club,
Woree Tavern, Balaclava Hotel, Newmarket Hotel... which so directly
affect so many ministy clients and their families
Chief Justice
Paul De Jersey, Justice Stan Jones, all members of Qld &
Australian Judiciary, solicitors & barristers
PM Kevin Rudd,
Dr Brendan Nelson MP, John Turnour MP, Senator Jan McLucas, Bob
Katter MP - all Federal MPs
Desley Boyle MP, Warren Pitt MP, Steve
Wetenhall MP, Rosa Lee Long MP, Jason O'Brien MP – all Qld
Mps
Cairns City Council: Mayor Kevin Byrne, Councillors: Paul
Gregory, Fran Lindsay, Jeff Pezzutti, Paul Freebody, Kathy Plath,
Margaret Gill, Terry James, Deirdre Ford AM, Alan Blake, Margaret
Cochrane, Sno Boneau, Annette Sheppard
All staff and readers of
The Cairns Post, The Cairns Sun, The Tablelander, Torres Straits
News;
Staff viewers and listers of Chanel 10, WIN 9, 7, ABC, John
McKenzie & 846AM
All organising & attending WYD 2008,
World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney – WYD08 - 15th - 20th
July 2008
Qld:
Atherton, Bamaga, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Cardwell, Cooktown,
Gladstone, Mackay, Mareeba, Maryborough, Mount Isa, Palm Island,
Rockhampton, Thursday Island, Toowoomba, Townsville, Wide Bay, Weipa,
Yarrabah, Yeppoon
NSW: Sydney, Albury, Armidale, Ashfield,
Auburn, Ballina, Bankstown, Bathurst, Baulkham Hills, Bega Valley,
Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Botany Bay, Broken Hill, Burwood, Byron,
Camden, Campbelltown, Canada Bay, Canterbury, Cessnock, Clarence
Valley, Cooma-Monaro, Cootamundra, Coffs Harbour, Corowa, Cowra,
Dubbo, Fairfield, Gosford, Goulburn, Great Lakes, Griffith, Gunnedah,
Hastings, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Hornsby, hunter, Hunter's Hill,
Hurstville, Hume, Inverell, Kempsey , Kiama, Kogarah, Ku-ring-gai,
Kyogle, Lachlan, Lane Cove, Leeton, Leichhardt, Lismore, Lithgow,
Liverpool, Maitland, Manly, Marrickville, Moree Plains, Mosman,
Murray, Murrumbidgee, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Newcastle, North
Sydney, Orange, Parramatta, Penrith, Pittwater, Pt Stephens,
Queanbeyan, Randwick, Richmond Valley, Rockdale, Ryde, Shellharbour,
Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy River, Strathfield, Sutherland,
Tamworth, Tenterfield, Tumut, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Tamworth,
Taree, Wagga Wagga, Warringah, Warrumbungle, Waverley, Willoughby,
Wollongong, Woollahra, Wyong, Yass, Young
Vic: Melbourne,
Ballarat, Banyule, Bayside, Bendigo, Boroondara, Brimbank, Casey,
Dandenong, Darebin, Frankston, Geelong,
Glen Eira, Hobsons Bay,
Hume, Kingston, Knox, Latrobe, Manningham, Maribyrnong, Maroondah,
Monash, Moonee Valley ,
Moreland, Port Phillip, Shepparton,
Stonnington, Warrnambool, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra
Tas: Hobart, Burnie, Clarence, Devonport, Glenorchy, Launceston
SA: Adelaide, Burnside, Campbelltown, Charles Sturt,
Elizabeth, Holdfast Bay, Marion, Mitcham, Mt Gambier, Onkaparinga,
Peters, Playford, Pt Adelaide, Pt Lincoln, Pt Pirie, Pt Augusta,
Prospect, Salisbury, Tea Tree Gully, Unley, Victor Harbor, West
Torrens, Whyalla,
WA: Perth, Albany, Armadale, Bayswater,
Belmont, Boulder, Broome, Bunbury, Canning, Coolgardie, Esperance,
Fremantle, Geraldton, Joondalup, Kalamunda, Kalgoorlie,
Mandurah, Port Hedland, Rockingham, Stirling, Subiaco, Swan, Wanneroo
ACT: Canberra - NT: Darwin, Alice Springs, Ayres Rock,
Gove, Katherine, Nhulunbuy, Tennant Creek,
Special note: above list is not only areas & groups in Australia this ministry prays for. Eg. Thursday Island also includes every Torres Straits Island. The applies to every community gathered around these main population centres.
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