No words needed. People with mental illnesses may not have broken bones but they have broken dreams, broken minds and broken hearts. Their illnesses may be invisible but the signs are there if you take the time to look for them. The onus is on you to reach out to them, not for them to prove their desperation to you. Compassion is a builder of bridges, a changer of worlds. It can heal the deepest of invisible scars. Care enough to look.
We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca.
We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised.
But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all.
We hope you enjoy the blog.
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13 thoughts on “Care Enough To Look”
Here, here! I totally agree on this Steven! People need to be more aware of those of us with mental illnesses!
I don’t think the problem is people don’t always care (although some really don’t), I think it’s more about not knowing how to help. If I scrape my knee a bandaid and some peroxide should do the trick. But if I’m so depressed I literally can’t get off the couch, that is not such an easy fix. I say this both from the person on the couch and the one taking care of the one on the couch because I have been in both positions.
My son was suicidal at one point in high school. Come to find out he was suffering from Lyme Disease for about 3 years. When he returned to school, one teacher looked at him and said, “you look fine to me”. He was a valued colleague of mine, but I took the opportunity to share some of my personal experiences with mental health. It may not have made a difference to him, but I needed to advocate for my son and all people who suffer. Thank you for this post.
Yes. And you have to be willing to let people fight their own way. What works for you, or for someone else you know, may not be beneficial for me in my fight.
Black Thoughts 
Here, here! I totally agree on this Steven! People need to be more aware of those of us with mental illnesses!
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🖤🖤
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I don’t think the problem is people don’t always care (although some really don’t), I think it’s more about not knowing how to help. If I scrape my knee a bandaid and some peroxide should do the trick. But if I’m so depressed I literally can’t get off the couch, that is not such an easy fix. I say this both from the person on the couch and the one taking care of the one on the couch because I have been in both positions.
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Thank you!
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Beautiful, and so true. xx
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Thank you Brooke 🙂
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My son was suicidal at one point in high school. Come to find out he was suffering from Lyme Disease for about 3 years. When he returned to school, one teacher looked at him and said, “you look fine to me”. He was a valued colleague of mine, but I took the opportunity to share some of my personal experiences with mental health. It may not have made a difference to him, but I needed to advocate for my son and all people who suffer. Thank you for this post.
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You’re welcome. I hope your son is in a better place now.
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So true.
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Yes. And you have to be willing to let people fight their own way. What works for you, or for someone else you know, may not be beneficial for me in my fight.
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That’s very true. Thank you.
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