I feel like I am looping back to a previous post of mine – The Lucky Ones have Crutches and Bandages – I hope you have read it, if not CLICK HERE.
In the Saturday Globe & Mail newspaper of November 9, 2019 there was an interesting read about veterans, and in particular a pilot.
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I found my attention drawn to the short article about Mr. Guinan. Guinan served as a pilot and air traffic controller for 28 years. Long hours, and stress eventually took a toll resulting in health conditions that left him no alternative but to retire, and he was eventually released for depression. He had dealt with his health issues, including depression, his whole life, masking it but eventually he could not avoid it’s effect on his life.
I can imagine the retirement decision was difficult, an invisible but very real and debilitating illness forced him to leave, and seek treatment. Especially tough recognizing he worked in the military and what I suppose is a military expectation that he show no emotion or weaknesses.
These are the words that caught, or grabbed my attention in his article.
By accessing treatment and being honest about his struggles -something that is sadly uncommon in military circles – Guinan is epitomizing what it means to be a leader.
It’s about understanding that seeking help is not weakness – but rather any person’s greatest sign of bravery.
This is the line I read three times. Seeking Help is not weakness – but rather any person’s greatest sign of bravery.
Please encourage yourselves and people you care about not to hesitate about getting health help.
Whether depression, headaches, pains – it doesn’t matter – get your butts in there and check it out, and do it early pretty please.
- I know people die because they don’t go to the hospital with chest pains.
- I know people die because they wait too long to get a lump or pain investigated only to learn cancer has spread beyond treatment.
- I know people do suffer with depression or other mental health problems but hide it sometimes to tragic unnecessary results.
- Be an advocate for yourself, and do it early.
- Demonstrate your bravery and positive choices to help them do the same.
Thank you for reading. This may not be a blog post that is applicable to you. But it could be for someone you know.
In fact, I am uncertain if I should have written it, but here it is.
I hate to think that there are people out there, feeling they have to hide needing to seek help.
It’s bravery, not a weakness to seek help when you need it and it’s not bad to put yourself first, there are times for that and it’s the opposite of being selfish.
There is nothing to be ashamed of seeking help, in fact do it right away.
Be an example to others, by bravely getting help when you need it immediately, and then encourage others to do the same.
Life and Random Thinking 
It’s dumbfounding that, in today’s society, mental health issues still carry such a stigma. Actually, in today’s society, it’s almost dumbfounding that every person doesn’t have some mental health issue – or issues. Just the stress of everyday life can seem overwhelming at times. Thank you for sharing this poignant article!
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Thank you for the affirmation that I was correct to write this post. I needed to hear that.
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Reblogged this on Ramblings and Ruminations and commented:
As someone who has only recently been able to speak out about suffering from bouts of depression, this article is necessary – and will be necessary, until we stop placing such a stigma on mental health issues.
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Thank you for reblogging my post. That is a huge compliment. Sincerely Dave
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Great post Dave.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
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Much appreciated Bob. I trust you are doing very well.
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Thanks for this. As one with several invisible issues, I can definitely say you speak the truth.
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I appreciate your feedback. Thank you. It’s feels a risk sometimes to me to write about some certain things.
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An excellent post. I am former military and had some issues, but fortunately not as bad as they can be.
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Much appreciated you taking the time and your ideas and suggestions are welcome of course
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Great advice🙂
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Thanks Elaine. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Friday
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I am unable to Like your blog because the long list of fellow Likees is obscuring the star to click on! I haven’t been able to read here on Reader for a month, and now that I am starting too again, has WP done an update? Anyone else having this problem or just me?
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Dear Joni, thank you for commenting, I appreciate that the most. I haven’t heard before of anyone having trouble clicking likes. I think it might be just your computer. Can you see like when you move from the reader to the whole post by clicking the title?
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I can’t click on it either on the REader list or inside the post when I’m reading it. I move my pointer to the star and the list comes up so quickly that I can’t see the star. I’ll have to experiment with a different browser or maybe try a mouse instead of the trackpad, or maybe ask WP to disable it. This must be a new feature in my months absence from here….
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I wish I could help. If you are using the WP app, I would suggest you delete it and then reinstall it.
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I just switched browsers to Firefox and it’s okay. I see the list but it’s above the star so I can click on it. So all is good. While I don’t always comment, at least a click lets someone know you’ve read it!
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I took your advice and see the physiotherapist this week. My dratted neck is playing up again, making it difficult to blog.
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I hope you will find relief quickly and bravo for not stalling any more.
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Thank you!
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Wise words and incredibly valuable advice.
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Much appreciated. I was hesitant but the response has been positive.
November almost done and starting to see Christmas trees up already, we are waiting until early December. It takes a lot of time to decorate but it looks so nice once all done.
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Mr. 58, a wonderful set of posts, shows me that although we might think we are all alone, when we seek out Help, there it is, despite the news, which I pretty much gave up^ on listening to, the Human Race is better than that news; When I sorely needed some help after my Lady of 35 years passed away, and I was trying to starve myself to death at her loss, there were my neighbors with bowls of soup, chili, telling me to live because I still had work to do, and my Lady would not approve of me killing myself over her, and they saved my life, and yes, I have much work to do, and what I do best now is write, because all of my life I have been a Reader of everything printed except for junk books…..It is 6 AM here in Alaska and I have been at this all night, reading, writing, thinking about this world and the Future we are bequeathing to Our Children, and so far it is not a paradise we are leaving to them, I hope to change that…….
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