{"id":59480,"date":"2019-07-15T21:55:30","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T18:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=59480"},"modified":"2023-02-06T08:18:56","modified_gmt":"2023-02-06T06:18:56","slug":"mental-illness-is-not-a-choice-its-an-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/mental-illness-is-not-a-choice-its-an-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Illness Is Not A Choice – It\u2019s An Illness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Judaism does not approve of suicide. Debates over when to discontinue medical treatment exist, but to actively kill yourself \u2014 to take sword in hand and fall upon it as King: well, no rabbi, past or present, supports this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Death is considered the ultimate atonement for the lapses of one\u2019s life according to our tradition. No person is without sin; every life lived has faults, both of commission and omission. The rabbis believed that if a person strove for goodness and honestly tried to overcome one\u2019s mistakes, in the end, the loss of one\u2019s own life \u2014 that is, death \u2014 serves to atone for any remaining sins. Living is in many ways its own reward, and then when life ends, that is punishment enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what of the one who takes her own life? Instead of death as a loss, that person sees death a goal. It can no longer atone for sins, because the death itself \u2014 suicide \u2014 is also a sin. And so, it was traditional to withhold certain honorary rituals for the one who committed suicide. The community would comfort the mourners, but there was no eulogy. She would be buried at the edge of the cemetery, a dishonor. None should follow that path.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, virtually all understand suicide to be a result of mental illness, and not a free choice.\u00a0 And yet, many still speak of those who commit suicide in hushed undertones. \u201cDid you hear about so-and-so\u2026?\u201c\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental illness is an illness, as real and devastating as cancer. We used to murmur about cancer behind closed doors. Today, we have breast cancer month, pink ribbons, and posters reminding us to get tested. When will mental illness get the same treatment? Depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders are nothing to be ashamed of, and do not happen only to the weak. While there are many causes of mental illness \u2014 genetic, biochemical, developmental, circumstantial \u2014 no one WANTS to be mentally ill. And curing such illnesses is not a matter of self-discipline or morality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental illness is an illness.<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s treat it like an illness. In the synagogue, with a <\/span>Misheberach<\/span><\/i> (prayer for\u00a0 the ill), literature about mental health resources in the lobby, and offering support to those struggling with mental illness and their families. We can show that there is no shame in mental illness. When a regular Shabbat attendee goes absent, it is incumbent upon us to reach out. A person stuck in bed with overwhelming anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder may not be able to ask for help; offer it instead. A phone call, an email: it all helps. Let an ill person know they are missed.\u00a0 Knowing that the community cares can literally hold a person up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our children, our spouses, even the King Sauls are hurting. It is not enough to be like the arm\u2019s bearer and refuse to kill the king. We must hear the cries of pain, of hurt and fear and loss.\u00a0 We must respond.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":59481,"id":59481,"title":"isam31-mental health","filename":"isam31-mental-health.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/mental-illness-is-not-a-choice-its-an-illness\/isam31-mental-health\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"isam31-mental-health","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":59480,"date":"2019-07-15 18:55:18","modified":"2020-09-21 13:46:00","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1280,"height":1280,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health-300x300.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health-768x768.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":768,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health-1024x1024.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":1280,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":1280,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health-1200x1200.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/isam31-mental-health-420x420.png","home_baner-width":420,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Mental Illness Is Not A Choice - 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