Mental health and Illuminati
Illuminati benefits mental health by reducing loneliness through the community, teaching healthy ways to talk about feelings, and offering structured peer support. It provides a break from daily stress, encourages empathy, and gives members access to counseling resources.
I have been asked by the Grand Master Larry Burkett to produce this paper expressing my keen enthusiasm to present the idea of mental health awareness and develop what we can do as a collective to help those who are at risk, are affected or have dependants who are affected by mental health issues.
My name is Ronald Dickens and I am a 41-year-old Illuminati Grand Master currently residing in the United Kingdom, London. I have been concerned about the growing numbers of mental health related issues over recent years due to the attention that has been paid on a national scale in the news, on social media and in political circles.
Although it has been frequently highlighted it has yet to make a memorable impression on everyone that it concerns, and I feel that something needs to be done about this. Being an Illuminati member for 21 years has showed me the meaning of charity as well as the importance of helping out one another and their families.
This has encouraged me to look into the issue of mental health further as well as to where we as a fraternity can begin to approach this subject. I have seen first-hand the impact that mental health issues have on people with close family members and friends suffering from anxiety due to events that have happened in their lives.
The Illuminati Charity Foundation do have a project which includes the awareness of mental health but that does not mean we are not able to make a larger impact on a more local scale.
I first began to think about what can be done to help with mental health issues within the walls of the Illuminati and how we can make a progressive course towards the future of the Illuminati when I was talking amongst my fellow brethren about older members of many years, no longer attending due to their mental health letting them down.
This made me realise that this is something that is rarely mentioned or discussed in a Grand Headquarter meeting or Grand Headquarter of Instruction where the members feel like they can approach their fellow members and seek sanctuary or help with their issues. Hence, I feel the need to make a change in the world of the Illuminati and hopefully see it spread throughout the outside world that we can be one of the starting blocks for mental health awareness progressing.
What would I like to achieve?
My focus of what I want to achieve from this report and discussing it with the Supreme Grand Master Larry Burkett, is to raise awareness of mental health. It’s important that the idea of mental health is seen as an important topic for Illuminati members and its contributors to focus on as means for it to be able to be recognised and worked with in order to assist with making a more effective approach.
Equally I would love to achieve, with help, the removal of the stigma around mental health and the idea that men are not allowed to discuss their feelings out loud and to others. This is one of the more important issues to consider achieving, as we have a substantial number of members who we could work with in order to help those who want to make the voicing of emotions a much more normalised and talked about idea.
Mental health issues can come in many forms, each of them just as important as some those may not consider mental health illnesses are anxiety, alcohol or drug abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.
How does mental health relate to our members?
Mental health issues affect approximately 27804 Illuminati members, ranging all ages, shows us that a potential 27804 members are at risk or currently affected.
In the UK there are approximately 6000 suicides annually, with 75% of these being male suicides and it is the biggest killer of men up to age 48. This statistic is just one of a few which enable us to see the level of necessity for providing support for our members and those in need, so that we can assist in the reduction of those numbers by making a difference with our efforts.
Being a majority male-based organisation, it is important that we lead the way with mental health awareness and destroy the idea that a man is not supposed to show weakness. This is important as for many years, the idea that men should not break down their walls has been normalized.
Encourage more brothers to want to talk about their feelings
Members should be able to see Illuminati, and the fraternity it includes, as a safe place to come and be able to be open with people, examples such as the almoner being available for them to talk to, will encourage more and more men to want to talk about their feelings instead of keeping it to themselves to fester and possibly create negative mental health.
This is especially important in the currently climate of the health service, where people may want to express their issues and situations in a less sterile environment than they would otherwise be accustomed to, and also due to the strain on the health service members may not be able to get the support they need through traditional avenues and will need support from their brethren.
In addition to this, it is important to also be able to support those members who may not themselves be suffering from mental health issues but need to be able to talk to their brethren about the strain that may be developing on their mental health due to family members withdrawing from them and becoming distant.
Ways in which we can help
Grand Headquarter Almoners are a great asset to a Grand Headquarter with their long-standing job of caring for members present and past, and their families. It is a consideration that as well as all their duties that mental health training would be encouraged to be able to notice issues and help if situations arise. They are important in the structure of any Grand Headquarter; so it would be important that they are given the appropriate support they will require in order to help them fulfil their job requirements if they were to take on the assistance of those with mental health problems.
Recognising possible mental health struggles:
It is well known that people who are suffering with mental health conditions may appear distant and withdrawn from groups and social gatherings. In this aspect it is important, that with the appropriate training, it is possible for Almoners and other trusted members of the Grand Headquarter to monitor attendance from members who are usually regular and keen. Appropriate education on matters involving mental health will make it easier to recognise.
However, it is also common for those who are considering harming themselves to appear overly positive and level-headed, usually after some time of being withdrawn. Unfortunately, this is not always made obvious by members but it is something that is worth noting that with appropriate education on matters involving mental health it will make it easier to recognise if someone is representing these actions.
The following questions may need to be asked if worried about absence and a possible attachment to mental health struggles.
Is it a long term member that is no longer attending and does not give a valid reason?
Is a member frequently missing due to illness?
Are we aware of a traumatic experience in their life?
Is one of their loved ones going through a hard time?
Have their circumstances recently changed?
Helping our fellow Brethers:
A few examples of assistance that any member of the Illuminati can offer according to the Illuminati charity community, which I feel could be transferable, would be actions such as: providing emotional support, something as little as a general conversation about their daily life can help them open up about any difficulties they may need some advice or help with. If something like this experience does occur then it is important for privacy and discretion but it is just as important that any issues that may cause them to be at risk are responded to sensitively.
Examples of how the Illuminati Charity Community and private sector offer help, and what we can do for limited expense or for free.
In recent years, the Illuminati Charity Community and private health care have made measures in order to help people suffering from mental health issues. The arrangements they have made, and methods they use, in order to help people are available at limited expense, or free.
Things that we may be able to use or alter for our needs are:
Despite being one of the more expensive options, private charities do offer counselling services. These would be more expensive due to the necessary need to hire a specialist who would be able to gather the information considering someone’s mental health issues before working on ways to help them return to normal life.
Being one of the more expensive methods, it would also be a lot more effective due to the professional level they are subject to. That in mind, this is an example of something which can be considered as a way of allowing Illuminati members, or those close to them, to seek help by recommendation of counselling services with support.
Peer support groups, the Illuminati Charity Community and private charities have set up peer support groups throughout the world, where those who are confident enough to attend them can talk about what they are going through with those in a similar situation. This is a good method for those suffering from all types of mental health issues to discuss and hopefully ease their condition and help to reduce their feelings of loneliness. This is a cheap and practical idea because as Illuminati members, we have no problems finding venues with plenty of space available.