For years my mental illness used to riddle me with shame, I ended up isolating myself from so many people because I was too embarrassed to explain how I was feeling. I would only ever share my thoughts with the people I could really trust and I would hide it all from the rest of the world. I wanted as few people as possible to know because in the society we live in, it isn't socially acceptable to have a mental illness and if you do, you're considered a weak person because of it for me weak was something I was so determined not to be.
For some reason, humans don't seem to be able to look past a title such as depression, bipolar or an eating disorder and titles are just the be-all and end-all. They fail to look deeper into a person and see that there's so much more to them than their condition, they just get put into a category and judged because of it. What those titles fail to describe is that person is kind, generous, loving, thoughtful and strong. The title just describes the condition, but not the person suffering from it.
For some reason, humans don't seem to be able to look past a title such as depression, bipolar or an eating disorder and titles are just the be-all and end-all. They fail to look deeper into a person and see that there's so much more to them than their condition, they just get put into a category and judged because of it. What those titles fail to describe is that person is kind, generous, loving, thoughtful and strong. The title just describes the condition, but not the person suffering from it.
Our society makes those affected by a mental illness feel that it's something they should be ashamed of. In my eyes, the problem we have is that all mentally ill people are put in the same box and as soon as a tragic accident happens the press repeatedly exploits mental health. The problem then lies with society not being able to separate the mentally unstable from those who just suffer from a mental illness. The big difference is control. A person like me who has bipolar shouldn't be considered the same as a person who goes on a shooting rampage because they have lost control of their bipolar. I am in complete control of my mental illness and just because I have the same condition as someone like that, doesn't mean I should be put in the same category as them.
The perception mental illness carries is that those who suffer from it are unhinged or deranged. Which yes, someone who is not in control of their condition could be considered to be 'not in their right mind'. However, with the right medication and the correct therapy a person can be a perfectly functioning human being who will cause no harm to the world and should not be categorised as 'crazy'.
The problem those who are affected by mental illness have regarding stigma is that most people don't take the time to understand the particular conditions, so many people say they don't understand depression but never try to learn how to. That's the most frustrating thing of all, people simply do not try to understand and as long as that carries on there will always be a stigma around mental health.
The perception mental illness carries is that those who suffer from it are unhinged or deranged. Which yes, someone who is not in control of their condition could be considered to be 'not in their right mind'. However, with the right medication and the correct therapy a person can be a perfectly functioning human being who will cause no harm to the world and should not be categorised as 'crazy'.
The problem those who are affected by mental illness have regarding stigma is that most people don't take the time to understand the particular conditions, so many people say they don't understand depression but never try to learn how to. That's the most frustrating thing of all, people simply do not try to understand and as long as that carries on there will always be a stigma around mental health.
The best advice I can give to anyone living with any particular mental illness is to rid themselves of the shame and just to start talking more, I truly believe the more we all talk, the more those who aren't suffering will understand. For a condition that cannot be seen, talking is the only way we will ever get anyone to understand. Starting to write for me was also a great help and it may seem strange but the best way to stop feeling embarrassed is to expose yourself and your story to the whole world. To me, there's nothing more beautiful than someone who is unapologetically themselves.
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