Recently, Olympic athlete, Simone Biles, was lauded for her bravery of stepping back from competing due to her mental health issues. While I agree that speaking out about one's issues in a culture that until recently has stigmatized, silenced, and pushed back into darkness that of mental illness, is an act of bravery, I see her decision to return to compete and stand up holding the bronze as even more brave. Because despite her suffering, she did not quit, she did not use the 'mental health get of jail free' card, but persevered onward. That will be more vital to her mental health recovery as well as to that of others in the world in the erasure of stigma and encouragement of others to bravely perserevere in their recovery journeys.
That said, recently in my local area, another individual stepped forward in a very brave way that, in my opinion, advanced the cause of the erasing stigma and raising awareness for mental health advocacy. A young 24 year old man, Kristopher Clay, who worked as a janitor at a local high school and was already suffering with a mental health condition, took himself to the police station before committing a heinous crime.
It is the fact of our present day reality that mass-shootings are a common horror, including that at our schools, ranging from elementary through university. Kristopher Clay was, as he put it, having 'homicidal thoughts' and had made plans and stockpiled weapons to commit this heinous crime at his place of employment. However, it was obstructed and did not occur, why, because he stepped forward, destraught with immense fear of his own inner demons, nonetheless he bravely fought against.
Now, I do not want to equate homicide with that of athletic competition, but the fact of the matter is, mental illness is a varied package, from mere anxiety to delusional thinking, and yet all are under the umbrella of psychological disorder.
Therefore, before others may seek to downplay the step that Clay took and want to label him as 'crazy', which is no doubt understandable due to his thoughts and plans, I assert the positive step he took, in his own act of bravery, to halt the duranged thoughts in his mind, to seek help not just for himself but for those threatened.
For very personal reasons, I know fully how difficult it is to fight against the darkness of your own mind and demonic thoughts, to not give in, but strive each day for wholeness and health. For this reason, I applaud Kristopher Clay as brave. He will and is facing consequences of the preparation for the crime, but it will be not as drastic as what could have been had he succumbed to his weakness. Not only that, in addition, he will be able to continue his journey toward recovery and, in that, this moment of his life will be a beacon of light shining out of the darkness that mental illness no longer shall be hidden or perceived scary and that recovery is possible.
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