Are You Mental!!

People with mental illness's as a disability are viewed differently than those who have physical disabilities. Not the mention the fact that anything physical can be observed where as usually only silence comes from those who are suffering inside themselves.

Those people who are mentally ill tend to be depicted as acting strange or not complying to society's expectations. This is one of the many factors that determine what kind of judgments are placed on people who battle with the invisible devil.

There is quite often empathy and compassion for those who carry physical disorders. On the other hand most people don't stop to consider how painful it is to be made to feel that "this is all in their head" or "so and so just did that to get attention". Now the illness must be fought on two fronts. The agony they live with moment by moment; and business of proving true illness to a world that still believes that crazy people need to be locked up.  When a depressed or anxious person feels like they cannot talk to anyone they fall deeper and deeper, faster and faster. The third front is that so much shame attached to these disorders that people who suffer with them take on that shame as personal cross to bare and are forced to "just suck it up" And never tell anyone. When we do tell someone Often what happens is we are misdiagnosed and sometimes ignored, There are many doctors who will just push pills and never listen to a word you say. Psychiatrists who work for free(or very little) are a dying breed.

Anger is viewed as nonsense or dramatised. Sadness is viewed as wasteful and none productive. Addiction is viewed as immoral and corrupt. Overall, the fact that our body's are doing just fine, imposes people to think that Mental illness can be cured. All to often people are confused about why Shela doesn't get out more and socialise or why in gods name, why she would hurt herself, or why can Freddy does not just quit, just change, just give it up, just stop feeling sorry for himself.

Stigma Makes people silent. And Silence makes mental illness fatal! Yup, you heard it. And no I am not exaggerating in the least. When a depressed or anxious person feels like they cannot talk to anyone they fall deeper and deeper, faster and faster. The shame, the desire to be believed, dredging sadness, It whithers a person to nothing. The moment that a suicidal person feels profoundly and inescapably alone, is the moment that life has no appeal.

This may sound a little biter, It's not. These are the kind of thoughts that race through me every time I ponder about why stigma against mental illness so hard. Why are lives still being lost, ruined, and forgotten?

That is my thought for the day.
Stop the silence. Speak up, speak out.
Take Pride in your Great Mind!