Family Needs Help After Mental Health Crisis

A Crown Heights family is seeking community assistance following a severe mental health crisis affecting one household member. The situation requires extended hospitalization, treatment, and therapy at substantial cost.

The family faces additional hardship due to the parents' circumstances. The father has a chronic medical condition that prevents employment, limiting household income significantly. With their attention focused on supporting their relative through the recovery process, the parents lack sufficient resources to manage both medical expenses and basic needs.

The family is requesting help covering mounting medical bills, ongoing therapy costs, and everyday expenses during this period.

Harav Shlomo Segal commented on the broader context, stating that "The matter of beri'as hanefesh is of supreme importance, yet it remains a quiet, agonizing battle that so many in our community are secretly struggling with every single day." He emphasized that mental health care constitutes a religious obligation, citing the Torah directive: "And you shall guard your souls exceedingly." He noted that Jewish tradition expanded this principle into "a supreme obligation for active preservation of health, body, and soul," With the principle that "danger is more severe than a prohibition."

Segal attributed rising mental health crises partly to modern pressures from internet and social media that did not exist previously, describing these as sources of comparison, isolation, and emotional strain. He stressed the importance of strengthening interpersonal connections within the community, suggesting that gestures of genuine care and warmth toward others represent vital religious obligations that can meaningfully support those facing hidden struggles.