AUGUST 7 — It was disturbing to read about US President Donald Trump laying the blame for shootings on mental illness and videogames.

Now a proposal is being bandied about to involuntarily commit people living with mental health conditions.

That, to me, is terrifying.

For one, the range of mental health disorders is wide and the spectrum varies from those who would call themselves “high-functioning” or people who genuinely find their mental health debilitating.

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It doesn’t help that popular culture loves creating villains out of those with mental afflictions, and creating an image that the “bad guy” is always deranged, else how could they do bad things?

The profile of the average US mass shooter is consistent — white, male, usually in a fringe group in high school or college, with poor social skills.

Why is it then that individuals of similar make-up in other countries somehow get through life without murdering their classmates?

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Perhaps it is because they can’t drive to a chain hyperstore and pick up enough firepower to massacre a whole village.

As toxic as Twitter can get at times, I credit it to further increasing my awareness about mental health issues as well as a platform to help spread that awareness.

On Twitter, I see people being honest about their mental health issues and their daily struggles, while still doing their best to fight the stigma about mental health.

This openness comes with a cost; for some, publicly disclosing their health issues makes it difficult to secure employment or health insurance.

I casually disclose my dealing with clinical depression and PTSD because I want to, but I know that I am lucky enough to be able to in the first place.

Being a high-functioning person with mental illness means that despite my diagnosis I can get on with my daily life without much impediment. My symptoms are manageable without a lot of effort or expense, but that is not the case for many other people.

Those with anxiety disorders will find it hard to work in high-pressure environments or that require them to deal with people constantly. I know some people who have had to quit their jobs because their mental illnesses have made it impossible to function.

It is difficult to explain to people how living with mental illness can feel like being locked into an invisible cage, that only you can see.

The recent proposal to decriminalise attempted suicide is long overdue — it is ludicrous to punish someone for being driven to end their life because they see no other way out of their suffering.

What is lacking, however, is legislation to protect the mentally ill from discrimination as well as a proper social welfare structure to help support the mentally ill while they are unable to support themselves.

It’s also high time insurance companies start covering mental illnesses as well, and to not deny insurance on the basis of pre-existing conditions.

We cannot afford to let mental health fall to the way side and it needs consideration as much as any branch of medicine. Just ask any doctor who has suffered burnout from long hours and their work’s emotional toll.

In the meantime, I hope the decriminalisation of suicide happens soon because we really don’t need the police arresting those who likely need treatment, and not a huge fine.

Suicide isn’t a crime, but it is a problem. It is a problem that we should all lend a hand to fix before we lose any more to suicide.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.