Nameless Faces

In Hollywood drugs, money, sex it’s all at your disposal. “Yes men” crowd around, give you what you want, soak up liquor and money like its water. We often hear about the not so glamorous stories beyond the velvet ropes. As we see an increasing number of celebrity deaths, we also notice how “trendy” mental health has become. When I say trendy I mean we talk about it, post, share inspirational memes but are we really acknowledging how rapidly young people are dying? It’s all well and good to post and share information but what are we really doing when it comes to supporting those who suffer from any mental illness ? Several celebrities have come forward discussing their diagnoses, treatment, or lack thereof. Drug addiction is sadly the remedy for so many. The cases of overdoses is astonishing and steadily rising. Most recently the death of Mac Miller hit fans across the world hard. He was a force in the hip community a gentle soft spoken guy and friend to so many. It was no secret he was struggling with his personal demons and like so many creatives, he used his art and drugs as a means of therapy. Celebrities flocked to social media to show their love, and send condolences. In particular the words of J. Cole struck a chord with me. He let it be known if no one else will support you, listen to you, I will. He poured his heart out on stage performing his album KOD shedding tears for his late friend. I wonder how many of those friends called Mac, went to his house, took him to therapy, set up interventions. I’m not saying it hadn’t been done because I’m sure someone did. I’m curious, out of all the people that were on his payroll how many came to his aid,or contributed to his demise ?

How many times have you watched someone constantly update their status with sad or even some suicidal undertones? How many memes have you seen, and prayer requests have you ignored? No personal digs just a question. We all scroll past and see people as “attention seeker” indeed they are seeking something. So many people are seeking attention, a helping hand, or just someone to care enough to get them help. I’m no expert but from my experiences very few people you come into contact with genuinely care about you. There’s no doubt about it. In this era we need to be more aware, more educated, and informed about mental health. It is not just a trend on social media and we are losing this generation at a rapid pace. Don’t let your friends down when they are crying out for help! I have lost a friend due to underlying circumstances and there is nothing that will heal my heart. Mental health awareness is my calling, and my life's work. Please be mindful of how we address these issues ! It is not a joke ! Mac Miller was one man, and unfortunately he will be trending for a week, then onto the next Hollywood tragedy. However the conversation on M H (mental health) is not slowing down. I find it quite ironic that celebrities have medical care, rehab, treatment centers, at their disposal yet and still the death tolls rise. Addiction and mental heath do not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, or economic status. The everyday working person may not be afforded all these treatment options so cases of overdosing, suicides, accidental deaths continue to sky rocket. Educate yourselves please, be kind to others, and be aware of the signs. We don’t want to keep losing our people! When the lights go dark in Hollywood, everyone notices, but in the real world it's just another nameless face gone too soon.