I’m amazed at how people always refer to chronic physical pain as a legitimate reason for suicide but mental illness is considered an illegitimate reason to commit suicide. Do people have NO FUCKING IDEA of how hellish mental illness can be? No apparently they don’t. Such is the stigma. Mentally ill people are considered scary and burdensome and they are required to suffer for the sake of suffering. Why? Because it’s invisible I guess. “Normal” mentally healthy people must think that we’re faking it or maybe that everyone experiences the same amount of mental torment but that mentally ill people are just drama queens or something. I’d like to see the look on their face if they were ble to understand what a dissociative episode is/feels like.
Thoughts?
(Sometimes I wonder in my self-hatred if my depression really is just me overreacting to normal amounts of psychic pain that everyone else endures. Maybe I’m just a *****)
6 comments
I think that it;s absolutely ridiculous how advanced and addicting we are technologically, but sometimes, I really wish there was a way to see into the mentally ill’s brains. I wish that other’s could see how we actually feel on a daily basis because (hopefully) then, they’d understand.
Totally agree! Unfortunately physical disabilities carry with it less stigma than mental illness… there’s so much stigma associated with it and it quite possibly has to do with the lack of understanding and inability to *see it*. We as humans are scared of what we don’t understand.
Additionally to the above you have to remember that back not so long ago people were institutionalized for it, more so than today. Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc to name a few. You were locked away even though you didn’t want to be; you were taken away from loved ones and the life that you knew. It isn’t to say that institutialization doesn’t occur today, but it happens much less. There’s the additional component of admitting a mental illness to family and loved ones and the underlying fear of rejection. I would compare it to coming out to your family of being homosexual and the fear of rejection. Unfortunately not all family members are accepting of homosexuality, similar to the acceptance of someone with a mental illness. The best thing for an individual with a mental illness is to be loved, accepted, and appreciated… all without condition.
Another component that I can think of is for the mentally ill and the underlying sense of shame. Shame of being a disappointment, shame of being different… not to mention the potential of losing a job or being ineligible for work and/or a promotion.
I grew up in a household with mental illness. I have depression and anxiety (at least what has been diagnosed) and it took me A LONG TIME to be open with it. Now I really don’t give a second thought about sharing it. People for the most part understand and I have found out that so many people, once I am open about my shit, start sharing their stuff… bipolar, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, etc….. so many people carry have mental conditions. I’m still amazed at how taboo mental illness remains.
Mental illness in Canada affects a statistical 1 in 5 (20%) and that is what was reported and disclosed. Mental illness is turning into epidemic proportions. Personally I think it has gotten to epidemic proportions due to the stigma attached. Fortunately world countries (except Russia I’m sure) are starting to acknowledge mental illness and are working towards a better tomorrow through treatment, research, and accommodation.
I agree that people fear what they don’t understand.
Understanding is funny.
What’s funny is that people of sound mind will say of a suicidal person, “We can’t let him kill himself because he doesn’t understand! He’s just confused. If he understood, he would know that he doesn’t really want to kill himself.”
The mentally ill person will say, “No, you don’t understand the suffering that I am experencing. I am making a rational decision to kill myself because I am suffering, not because I am confused.”
100% agree.
Even a person with mental illness can enjoy life. 🙂
I would have been able to enjoy life but I sabotaged it. I completely self destructed and now it’s too late for me. It cannot be fixed.