HELPING IS BEAUTIFUL
It’s been awhile since I’ve written a Helping is Beautiful segment, but an incident on Twitter and the Internet, has touched me deeply. Many on Twitter yesterday became aware of a video of the beautiful actress Maia Campbell (shown on the right) which circulated the web. This video (you may Google it if you wish), shows the personal torment and decline of a once well-known actress. Many used Twitter yesterday to ridicule and pass judgment on Maia, while others used Twitter as a means to lend a kind word or a prayer. I myself had to watch the video 3 times throughout the day and each time it left my heart broken. It was so hard for me to believe that the person I was watching, someone who was suffering from mental illness (and drug abuse), was the same person I had at one time admired for her beauty and talent.
I felt this same way years ago, when another famous beauty passed away from AIDS. The immensely beautiful, Gia Carangi (shown on the left), was known as the first supermodel, and her slow decline into self-destruction was just as painful to witness as Maia’s. The underlying cause of both of these women’s torment is mental illness and both turned to drugs for reasons only known to them. What is most shameful to me, is both women were used and abused for their beauty, but their demons of mental illness have been ignored.
I can vouch that almost every person reading what I have written today, knows (or loves) someone who suffers from some form of mental illness. This disease can turn a loved one into a stranger and it is up to us to help where we can. There are many resources on the web to help you recognize the signs of mental illness and help you in the struggle to fight it. Helping someone doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture. Someone out there is yearning for just a smile, a touch, or a few kind words. Please take a moment to help turn someone’s life into something beautiful.
Beautiful post Toma.
Thank you Jenn. Life just gets to you sometimes.
Maia’s situation is sad. I frankly am disturbed at how some people find this funny.
She has a mental illness and abusing drugs. It’s really sad.
Yes, Rai, it is sad. And some of those same people who are laughing, are just one incident away from losing control themselves.
I love your post Toma, I know what you mean, I’ve read so much about Gia Carangi just a couple of months ago and it broke my heart, i think I learned about her from an old Angelina Jolie movie..and now…come to think of it, you are right, we do have friends or people we are close to who suffers from a certain disease, it is heart wrenching…thanks for this post..
What is so funny about someone having mental problems and abusing drugs. Technology is amazing but horrible videos get around super fast. People just can’t wait to tear someone down. It’s just a sad part of society.
awwww
i agree with what you said
most people just passed judgment on something like this, not even taking a time to consider the real reason behind it
To be honest, I don’t know what is going on. I am out of the loop, but I find it sad that people make fun of unhealthy people. I think it’s easier to point/criticize others before themselves. I think if more people look at themselves first, life would be different.
hey toma: haven’t spoken to you for a while. i am a survivor of depression, which is also classified as a mental illnes. you are so right–in general people will either criticize, condenm or ostracize others that are fighting things of which they know nothing and don’t understand. while i don’t condone this type of behavior, i do understnd it; that which frightens us is very difficult to deal with, so it’s much easier to pass judgement rather than to take the time to understand. keeping on top of my depression is a daily (and sometimes hourly) battle for me, and i truly do pray for those at large that suffer from this and other types of mental illnesses/addictions. blessings to anyone that offers a helping hand to those of us that truly need it…
Hello again Janel,
I’ve been wondering how you were. Mental illness is a disease that hits very close to home for me. My father, brother and nephew all suffer from serious forms of mental illness and you are right, it is very frightening. No one wakes up and says, “I think I’ll be schizophrenic today!” It’s not a choice. This is real life and it happens more than we would like to acknowledge. How many people are on the brink of a breakdown right now? It could be any of us at any given moment. If you ever need to talk, I’m here!