stigma
People with mental illness represent one of the most deeply stigmatized groups in our culture. Learn more about it here.
Living with a Mental Illness
First off, I'm going to let it be known right here and now that I am not ashamed to admit that I have a mental illness and I somehow manage to make it through each and every single day of my life without hurting myself or anyone else. Some days this is not an easy task. Some days it takes all I have inside of me just to get up out of bed in the morning. I honestly hate it. There is not one single day where I do not know that I have it because each day it presents a new challenge to my life in one way or another. Please allow me to explain.
By Phoenix Cobain7 years ago in Psyche
"Crazies"
It's the words they use to define you that hurt the most; mental, barmy, drama queen, CRAZY! There's that old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Well, let me tell you something, words do hurt. They really hurt. Especially when it's over something you can't control. No one asks for a mental illness, no one asks to feel depressed, no one asks to feel anxious. It’s not something we choose, it just happens.
By Crazy Unicorn7 years ago in Psyche
Growing Up Introverted
Growing up introverted and not knowing what it even means to be introverted can be a very scary thing. I want to shed light onto my own experience with growing up and how I managed to come to peace with myself and accept myself for who I truly am despite what the people around me think. I spent my whole childhood and teenage years wasting them away because I was afraid of my own self and capabilities and was too focused on fitting in rather than being happy. I wanted to be like the people I loved and admired rather than put in effort to search for what made me feel comfortable.
By Julie Smith8 years ago in Psyche
Suicide Is Not Selfish
Life with mental health, like any other illness, comes with its own unique set of struggles one must learn to overcome. Yet, for many, the biggest struggle it seems is the way in which people treat, speak to, and see those who live every day with the diseases. The dialogue that surrounds mental health can be quite discouraging for those who have the diseases, which makes it incredibly difficult for them to reach out, get help, and get support. One of the worst infractions I notice is when the topic of mental health comes up, we use a vastly different dialogue for it versus when someone has a physical illness. When someone has a physical illness, they are met with support, with empathy, with understanding, with so many wonderful things. Yet, when someone has a mental illness they are met with ire, with things like “Just be positive.” “So and so has it worse than you.” “You should try X, Y, or Z.” “Oh so and so has it, and they treated it like this.” “Why can’t you just be happy?” Honestly, I could go on for hours with the asinine things that have been said to myself as well as others like me, and while most mean well, they do not understand how their words, their actions, and their suggestions make those with the diseases feel. Many treat us like we are pariahs, like we are something to be feared, like we are broken, like we are something that must be fixed. Especially with all the mass shootings going on in the US right now, the first thing that most people talk about is how the shooter must have or did have some form of mental illness. Yet, the conversation we should be having is how we can better assist those with poor mental health rather than blaming the diseases further, rather than creating more of a divide between those who live with poor mental health and those who don’t, rather than villainizing the diseases and those of us who live with it, and rather than further perpetuating the fears and stigmas surrounding it.
By Courtney Luke8 years ago in Psyche
Suicide May Not Be the Answer, but It Also Isn't Selfish
Let me preface this article by saying that I do not condone suicide, but I do understand it. I do not want someone to read this and then say that I encouraged them to partake in the act, because that is not my purpose. I do believe there are other ways out of pain, but I do understand why someone may be unable to find those ways.
By Zellie Wicker8 years ago in Psyche
We Aren't Choosing to Drown, Our Minds Make Us Feel Like We Already Are...
I never once when growing up thought, When I get older, I would love to deal with consistent struggles of the mind. That sure sounds glamorous. And neither did the millions of others who suffer, and I think we tend to forget that. Nothing about this toxicity is beautiful, and you are only making it worse by talking about it as if they chose this life themselves.
By Courtney Joyce8 years ago in Psyche
When Praying Isn't Enough
TRIGGER WARNING* Nearly three years ago, a close friend of mine committed suicide. It wasn’t her first attempt. She had had an ongoing habit of downing an assortment of pills in flagrant attempts to make herself pass out, and finally, she was successful.
By Micky Thinks8 years ago in Psyche
How I Got Over...
We never can understand the effects we have on people. Just being kind or rude can change a person's life at least for the moment. In the world we live in we are very judgemental. Cultural bullies who will crush an individual just to reinforce social norms and belief of how people should be and what they should do. Worst of all is the negative force of the family.
By I AM. Master of Arts8 years ago in Psyche
Bullies Owe Me Money
I feel that people who bullied me in the past owe me money in the present since emotional, verbal, physical, and psychological abuse do harm to your mental health with anxiety or PTSD symptoms. In this case, I feel that since I have limited income, my bullies owe me big time. I didn’t know for many years that I had pediatric-onset schizoaffective disorder. Nobody bothered to tell me about my schizophrenia. When they finally did, I lost self-confidence, but that was only because I was an insecure 20-year old who had just found out about my genetic disability. I have 22q, which I’m trying to be more forthcoming with telling people about it.
By Iria Vasquez-Paez8 years ago in Psyche
