Mental health - that thing we don't talk about

is being talked about a little more. There is a spread about it in this morning's paper. I was acutely aware of it again yesterday.

My doctor nephew has been working in mental health. He is on a contract. Despite the contract he has several times been told there are "no shifts available". The money simply isn't there. It is infuriating. As a family we are perhaps more aware of mental health needs than some. I was the one who, at fourteen, answered the phone to the terrified young voice saying, "..... my father is trying to kill my mother!"  He was too. This was a farmer, a war veteran, who was chasing his wife across the paddocks with a red hot poker in his hand. He thought she was the enemy. They flew him by air ambulance to the city. The community, made up of more "soldier settlers" (war veterans) rallied around to help but many of them had issues too.

The Senior Cat's brother had a form of dementia brought on by small "strokes" to his frontal lobes.  He had been severely depressed before that and his behaviour was sometimes erratic. Watching out for him was hard and we will be forever grateful to the three friends who stuck by him even when he became almost impossible to handle. 

Over the past few weeks I have been made aware of a woman who has been writing some particularly nasty anonymous letters. I don't know who she is - although I have a fair idea. I have been told she sees nothing really wrong with her behaviour. To her it is apparently simply a matter of apologising - anonymously. She needs help but does not recognise it. 

I have a very good friend who is currently going through another episode of severe depression. When I have written this I will email her husband and ask how she is. I won't phone because, should she answer the phone, she will try to make an effort to have a conversation. It isn't what she wants right now.

Yesterday I went to see the Senior Cat. I had been going to go the day before but his friend P.... was there when I phoned to say I wanted to come.  This friend is a fellow magician. They always have plenty to talk about. The Senior Cat was keen to tell me about P's visit when I got there yesterday. 

We spent the rest of the time working out how to make another sort of origami box. It's tricky. He had been working on it. I spent some hours working on it too. I think I have it cracked. I am not sure the Senior Cat has but he told me, "I'm not going to let it beat me." I left him considering folds and valleys and points and other mysteries. I had also left him another psychology book. He's doing more reading about "superstition". It is a topic which interests him - and his friend P... too. 

I know the Senior Cat has moments of depression. He would prefer to be home and at work in the garden and in the shed. He would prefer to be able to go out independently and just get on with life in the way he wants. But, he has found things which still challenge him.  It is what we all need. 

This year has been has been strange. I think I have got through it because I have found things to challenge me. I have succeeded in some. I have failed in some and some of those I will try again. Yes, I have been "down" at times - more often than I would like. It has been that sort of year - but I still have an "I want to do" list. It is people without one of those I really worry about.