Richard & Kathleen Marquis: Those enduring 'nightmare of mental illness' must speak out
We commend The Florida Times-Union for their efforts in keeping the mental health crisis in the spotlight. Three prominent articles in recent weeks struck a personal note with us.
We have published frequently on the mental health crisis but realized we were rehashing many of our previous columns. Shopworn ideas don't work in this business. We now realize we were repeating ourselves because the same problems continue.
The sad reality, however, is that these problems not only persist but are intensifying. The three recent articles made some significant observations and we think some points are worth reemphasizing.
'A sense of reassurance and belonging': Campus religious groups tackle mental health services
Emotional wellness: How to improve an important component of physical well-being
Dr. Christine Cauffield said this in an Oct. 23 guest column:
"The devastation caused by Hurricane Ian will have reverberating effects on our state for years. News stories and videos of our communities wracked by death and destruction are seen across the world alongside continuing stories about events like the war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic."
Later she added, "Florida ranks second in the country in terms of both the prevalence of mental illness and in the number of our citizens dying from drug overdoses. We're ranked 49th nationally in access to mental heal care, according to the 2022 State of Mental Health in America report."
The toll this is taking on our children is staggering.
The News Service of Florida's Ryan Dailey on Nov. 18:
“Florida had 5,077 incidents of students being involuntarily committed under a mental health law known as the Baker Act during the past school year, data presented Wednesday to a school-safety commission showed.
"The Baker Act is a roughly 50-year-old state law that allows courts, law enforcement officers and certain medical workers to order people who could be a harm to themselves or others to be taken to facilities for up to 72 hours,” the story continued.
Previously, Dr. Laureen Pagel offered the following comments in her Oct. 30 guest column:
“People around us are struggling. That's not surprising when you consider that the 'new normal' in the wake of the COVID pandemic has brought economic challenges along with the ongoing effects of isolation, loss, and fear about COVID or monkeypox.
"For many, the current state of affairs is a recipe for depression, anxiety, hopelessness and self-harm, including increasing rates of suicide," she continued. "And children — dealing with challenges at home, at school and on social media — are even more at risk than adults.”
Understanding mental illness: Do you really know what schizophrenia is? Most people don't.
Letters: Proposed Medicare changes a bad sign for both doctors and patients
Again, we are asking those enduring this nightmare to speak out.
Please ignore the ever-present stigma (even from friends and family) and join us in the trenches of this fight.
I will close with my favorite quote, one that we have used before. Written by Carl Hiaasen in The Miami Herald, it best sums up why my wife and I continue this fight.
“So, to your awakening generation from a generation that has failed, here's the message: Don't ever go away. Don't ever be quiet. Don't let these cowards wiggle off the hook. The fight will be long, rough and often discouraging, but the price of silence would be unbearable.”
For us, the price of silence would be exactly that.
Richard & Kathleen Marquis, St. Augustine
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Those enduring 'nightmare of mental illness' must speak out
