Skip to main content

Mental Health Awareness


As some of you may or may not know May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and as such I thought I would write a blog post to try and help do my part to help raise awareness, and end the stigma of mental illness.  I also hope to show provide some hope in the process.  As many of you already know I have a mental illness, and that is Bipolar Disorder, which I was diagnosed with only relatively recently, about a year ago, although I have had it for a nice chunk of my life.  It is something that while I am still just in the beginning stages of starting to understand and control, I don't feel that it is something that I should have to be ashamed of or have to worry about others finding out about it.  unfortunately though there is quite a large amount of stigma that surrounds mental illness especially "serious mental illness", which they are for those that suffer from them (and those close to them as well)  unfortunately  though it also makes it sound scarier to those that don't know about them.


For those of you that don't know what Bipolar disorder is highly suggest reading the Wikipedia article because for one thing it is very good, and another is that it has links to in depth explanations of terms used as part of describing the disorder. For those of you that don't want to read the article I will give a very quick and dirty explanation of what it is, basically Bipolar Disorder, or as it used to be known Manic-Depressive Disorder,  is a disorder in which the sufferer experiences periods of Mania (or hypomainia) and periods of depression.  This is not the same as having a good day and a bad day, the ups are higher than normal and the lows are lower than normal.  When depressed it is not uncommon to have suicidal thinking, where one is obsessed with suicide, and those with bipolar disorder are at a much higher risk of attempting to/committing suicide while depressed then the general population.   Like I said the Wikipedia article is a very good one that I strongly recommend reading.

The thing is that when many people hear the words mental illness or even that someone is bipolar they tend to think that the person is "crazy" or "unstable" and a danger to them and the world as a whole, when in reality the suffer is not "crazy"  nor "unstable" in the sense that they are a danger, and depending on their mood state they are more a danger to themselves than anyone else.  Matter of fact those with mental illness are much more likely to find themselves the victims of violent crime, of partner abuse and being taken advantage of then is average for the general population.  Like me they are your friends, your coworkers, your neighbor, in short they can be anyone in your life.

Then there is the misconception that somehow those with a mental illness are weak and that is why they have it, now this is so far from the truth that it is truly in another galaxy.  Matter of fact they are probably some of the strongest people out there.  I know that even though I may have a very hard time believing so when I am at the depths of my depression it is true that it takes a heck of a lot of  strength  to keep fighting day after day to go to work, to get dressed and cleaned up when all that you want to do inside is to not get out of bed to crawl away to hide from the world and die, but instead you get out of bed get dressed and plaster on your "happy mask" and go about your day doing the motions pretending everything is fine, while those around you don't notice.  It takes a great amount of strength to fight off the thoughts of killing oneself when all that one wants to do is die, it takes a hell of a lot of inner strength to make it through those dark times and to come out the other side. That is strength, that is strength  that many don't know, and it is a  strength  that many don't ever get to see.  I think mental illness is not a mark of weakness it is a mark of strength, I know that not everyone is religious/spiritual, but for myself I find that my struggles have made me very I guess one could say spiritual, I believe that it is a mark from god saying that is knows you are stronger then others. Mental illness like physical can strike anyone, it does not care what sex they are, what religious views or affiliations they are, it does not care about nationality, levels of education or socioeconomic standing, it is non discriminating,  The sooner that we as a society except that the sooner that the stigma starts to fall away and those that need help feel free to seek out the help they need.


it also does not mean that one cannot live a "normal" and happy life, it may take that much more extra efforts at times, and there may be extra challenges along the way.  The thing that most often stands in the way of that is the stigma and  misconceptions  that surround mental illness, like that someone is not capable of doing their job, one that they have done or are  perfectly  capable of doing simply because they have this condition.  We would not stand for it is someone that had cancer or diabetes or any list of physical health ailments were told that they could not do a job that they are perfectly capable of handling simply because of their physical health ailment, yet as a society we are all too willing to accept such things when it comes to mental health.

Lastly mental illness are not made up things, they are not something that is made up for people to get attention, they are just as real as say cancer or  diabetes ,  just like a physical ailment they are not something that can be wished away.  They are not something that can simply be thought away ether, like physical  ailments   there are treatments that can help to control them and manage them.  There are combinations of drugs, and psychological treatments that can help to improve one's control of the illness as well as how they cope with it.  And like dealing with a physical illness it often takes time and work to find the right course of treatment, but it is very possible.    What stands in the way of being able to get help is the stigma that comes along with it, and keeps people from seeking out the help that they need, because they are afraid to be seen as even possible having a mental illness, let alone as having one.  It is time that we let the stigmas and prejudices that we have healed for way too long final go, that we replace them with understanding with knowledge and caring instead, for it is with the death of stigma that more and more people that need help will be able to find it and get the help that they need.  It is also with the death of stigma that we will  be able to know those that fill our lives more deeply and truly as well. I know that very few people in my life know about this part of me because of the fear that stigma has instilled in me, that makes me fear the repercussions of telling them this one small fact about my life. Until next time dear readers, please share this or your own feeling or stories with those you know, so that we can break the chain of stigma.


Comments

  1. I'm glad you wrote this post. For far to long mental illness has been seen as something shameful and a moral failing. Like you pointed out, its beyond the control of the sufferer, just like cancer and other diseases. Most people never understand just how hard it is to get out of bed, get dressed and out to work when your mental state is screaming at you to just lie there, and that nothing matters.

    It would help if movies and tv shows didnt make mentally ill people look like total freaks, and someone to be afraid of.

    I know how hard each and every day is for you, but i see glimmers of happiness in your writing that wasnt there before. Keep on trudging thru your day to day, and i think one day you will find you are no longer in suicidal acres, but in a much more happier place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can see the glimpse every so often too, I hope that i am pulling out of this depression even if it's slow and jerky. Although i still am being haunted by my hospitlzation last year (&other dark periods its shock lose) which dose not help things.(nor is it helping with my waight gain issues)

      Delete
  2. May I suggest something? To help your mental health, and your physical health, try going for a daily walk. Wander around a park, and look at nature. Stroll around a downtown area, or on a dark and nasty day, take a few turns around the local mall. Its great for people watching, and if you hit the time right, not to crowded, so you can really get up some speed. I know some malls have mall walking times, before the mall opens up usually. But where ever you decide to walk, try to make it a daily activity. Its good exercise, and the increased blood flow will help release endorphins which will make you a happier guy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That really is a great suggestion and something that i do need to work on, in addition to trying to find a way to deal with all the not so nice emotional energy with something other then eating. I know on a logical level that eating really does not solve the problems that I am trying to solve with them, unfortunately it seems to offer a temporary escape.(I guess it could be worse and I could use drugs or drink to deal with it)
      I need to get exercise into my daily routine, but I fear that if I can't deal with the other part of the problem it will not help much. :(

      Delete
  3. Ok, while it might help you to lose weight, that wasnt my main idea in the take a walk each day. Often when we over eat, its to sooth under used muscles by a large influx of carbs and sugars. Some of your emotional eating is stemming from lack of exercise. I dont really understand why we seem to work this way, but we do. And really moving along, looking at new and different things will help lighten your mood, and give you a fresh outlook on the day. You could pair it with a treat, as in, "if i go for a walk in the park for 30 minutes, I'll rent such and so to watch tonight." Dont use food as a carrot, {lol} for your walk, but something else, yeah?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Word Verification.

As some of you will soon start noticing I have started to use word verification in order for comments to be posted, unfortunately I had a spat of spam comments occur and I don't want to have to waist my time removing spam comments. So to help and combat the problem I have been forced to intorduce word verification into the commenting procsses.  I hope that doing so dose not discurage you guys (my readers) from posting your comments as I truly do value getting to hear your prospectives on things and talk with all of you. Untill next time dear readers. 

The Temptation Of The High

While being balanced mode wise is something that is good and something that I am glad to be, although I do wish that my medications made me feel less drained like I have been dragging a heavy weight around with me while I do things, in part because my mind seems to be sort of slow and just not totally with it at times leaving it to take a lot of energy to concentrate and get things done and that mental energy also has a physical manifestation as well, and is what tends to make me feel the most drained. while it is good to be balanced it is hard to not want to have a taste of the forbidden fruit that I have been brought down from having a minor taste of and that is to be on the more manic side of things.  It is times like this when I know that the meds are keeping me from an amazing natural high, that it is so tempting just to stop taking my medications.

Financially Incapable, Money Is The Problem

Being able to control one’s own finances is one of the important parts of being able to be a independent adult, and is something that is supposed to come along with being one as well.  It means being able to live within a budget and spending one's money wisely within that budget.  It also means having a realistic idea about what your income is and how much money you have to spend and being able to weigh that against financial decisions and the merits of purchases that one wishes to make keeping in mind the required purchase that one has to make and the cost of them.   Which is why the realization that I seem to be utterly incapable of controlling my finances is coming as such a blow,