Last night I had a beautiful, open, and honest conversation about mental illness with some of the most amazing women I've ever known. After having this conversation there were a few things I wanted to share. I should warn though I am in absolutely no way a mental health expert. But I do have some experience with dealing a mental health disorder everyday and I have talked to many others who also have experience with mental health disorders.
1. People with mental health disorders don't want pity. Understanding? Yes. Empathy? Yes. Feeling sorry for me? No. Having a mental health disorder does not make you less of a person. No one wants pity because quite frankly it's demeaning. There is nothing to feel sorry about having a mental health disorder is a part of everyday life, part of who someone is, and more than likely they wouldn't be the person you love without it.
2. Mental health disorders are not a competition there is no way to compare them. If someone is talking to you about mental health they want a conversation to express with someone who gets it not be put down by being told someone has it worse or there feelings aren't valid because they feel or express something differently.
3. You can know what anxiety or depression feels like without having a mental health disorder. I believe that this is a wonderful thing because it allows those who don't experience the everyday struggles of mental health disorders to relate and empathize. This also allows who do experience the everyday struggles of mental health disorders to support those going though in a rough patch in a deeper way.
4. No one can understand exactly how you how you feel, even someone who gone through something similar, because we experience things uniquely. This can be very lonely.
5. Mental health disorders manifest in people differently. Just like how the feelings are different so are the symptoms. For me personally a lot of times my anxiety expresses itself as the inability to speak. Even to my best friends. Even to those I love with all my heart. Even when I know I'm in a judgement free zone. Even when my mind screaming so loud it echoes in my toes "Mary Kate say what you are thinking!"
As a ending side note anyone who suffers with mental health problems you are not alone, everything you feel is valid, taking care of yourself is the most important thing, and if you need someone to talk to my ears are always open.
I love this post! and this is such an important topic that - in my opinion- doesn't get discussed openly enough.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your thoughts on mental health and disorders - I especially love number 4 :)
Number 1 is huge. I don't want you to feel bad for me because it makes me feel like I'M supposed to feel bad for me, and it's this vicious cycle of negative thinking and self doubt.
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