Media and researchers explain that mental illness is isolating but what they don't ever talk about is how unifying it can be to open up to others with mental illness. Tonight I posted on my FB wall that I was starting to feel that nothing I do is ever good enough and that I don't feel appreciated for my contributions. I then opened it up to ask if other people feel the same way occasionally.
What I was surprised to find is that many of my friends felt the same way and we all contributed to the conversation a little something that helped one another. I think what does make mental illness isolating is that we choose not to talk to one another about the disease. Sometimes we lie and pretend to not even understand it.
And yet almost every person in this world will experience heart ache, disappointment, the loss of a loved one, regret, and feel lost. Is this not part of depression? It may not be clinical but the ability to have empathy for your fellow human is not too much to ask. We have to start breaking down these walls we created that no longer suit us, or society at large.
The change begins with you, and me. Hopefully someday our childrens, children will no longer associate stigma to mental illness.
-SVJ
No comments:
Post a Comment