I tell you what: it's thinking like this that perpetuates the #mentalhealth stigma. It proves, yet again, that our primary obstacle is ignorance. I'm not using that as a pejorative; many people simply do not know much about the topic.
I'm not offended by his comment. I'm intrigued by it and would welcome an opportunity to engage. People without #mentalhealth issues -- or who do not have friends or family who deal with it -- generally can't be expected to understand them.
This isn't their fault. There are many struggles others go through that I can't relate to on anything more than an empathetic level. That is, I can only understand their struggle as best as possible, then put myself in their shoes. It's an imperfect way to relate. #mentalhealth
To have your own struggle, and to have a shared experience with others who have that same struggle, creates a sympathetic bond. It's direct experience. It is a meta-narrative which has a wide, diverse membership. Not everybody belongs, and that's OK. #mentalhealth
Part of our struggle will always be the sideways looks we receive from the ones who don't -- or can't -- relate. If we are brave then we can draw them in and share our experience as best as we can. #mentalhealth
Some people get it, some don't. There are people in my life, people close to me, who dismiss #mentalhealth concerns as weakness or as an excuse to shirk responsibilities and expectations. That stings, but we can only do so much.
If we are lucky, as I am, those who matter most do get it, and to some degree live it vicariously through us. Our struggle affects them, and so they become invested without being able to relate directly. #mentalhealth
They are the ones who say to us, "I believe you." They are the best people. They are advocates with faith in us. Pray for someone like that to be in your life. They will be your touchstone for many things, and the depth of friendship is priceless. #mentalhealth
At the same time, we have to steel ourselves against the doubters, those who both cannot relate and do not believe. #mentalhealth
They see highly functioning people, and they can't conceive of how those people could have an illness they associate only with the guy rambling down the street screaming at birds or whatever their vision of a mental illness may be. #mentalhealth
Maybe we can help them gain insight, maybe we can't. Meanwhile we have to bear up under the weight of their skepticism without fear or shame. Don't let colloquialisms like "crazy" or "nuts" get under your skin. #mentalhealth
I don't know who will read this, or if it will be read at all, but it's something that swirls around in my mind all the time. We play on an uneven field, and that probably won't change for a long time. #mentalhealth
Mental illness is a blanket term applied to a great number of horrible acts, usually by people who have no clue that many of the people they interact with on a daily basis also suffer from some kind of illness, yet manage to lead outwardly normal lives. #mentalhealth
Our resilience, and hopefully the courage to be open that resilience can fuel, can have an effect on the people in our lives. #mentalhealth
In this we are part of a fellowship of suffering, but also a fellowship of hope.
Find your place of peace, understanding that you cannot control it any better than you could control an earthquake. Own it so that it doesn't own you. #mentalhealth
Find your place of peace, understanding that you cannot control it any better than you could control an earthquake. Own it so that it doesn't own you. #mentalhealth
Then live your life as a fighter, as a capable participant, able to excel in all things. Live openly so that others can understand that you are a slave to nothing. That's when the stigma starts to fade. I've seen it work. I know it can be done. #mentalhealth
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