I know this has been done by many people, but I wanted to give my opinion on this subject because it's something that I feel really passionate about and have a lot to say about.
It seems like even in a world where depression and other mental disorders is quite common there is still this stigma that it's something to be ashamed of. It's seen as something that shouldn't be discussed in public. People are afraid they'll be judged because of their disorder and therefore won't tell anyone.
That just makes the problem worse though. Because we, the people who have these mental disorders, internalize almost everything. If we're sad we keep it in, if we're angry we keep it in, even sometimes if we're happy we keep it in, because we don't want to hold other people responsible. We don't want someone to feel like they have to fix us, because we can't be fixed. And that's OK!
People think of mental disorders as things like depression, schizophrenia, and extreme cases like that. But there are so many that are a lot less noticeable and a lot less discussed. Panic attacks, anxiety, multiple personality disorder, and things like that are swept under the rug, forgotten. And the people who suffer from those disorders that aren't often talked about and discussed tend to feel like they have to hide their problem, like it's something to be ashamed of because no one's talking about it.
But we can talk about people physical ailments all day long. I can ask about your friend who's going through cancer treatments, or you can ask how my friend is after surgery, and that's normal. But when it comes to asking somebody about their mental health it's top secret and it's taboo to discuss. I feel like that's why so many kids and teenagers who suffer from these disorders don't want to talk about it, because they think it's wrong and that they're weird for having this thing that's different about them.
So, how do we change this? How do we change societies mindset? And I don't have that answer, but what I can say is that we have to start with ourselves and the people around us. We have to show them that we shouldn't be afraid to talk about our mental health. Start with one person, talk to them about it...be completely honest...hold nothing back. And you'll realize how amazing that feels and want to keep going. Trust me it's hard and it's scary and oh my gosh it makes you want to puke sometimes, but do it anyway. You'll be surprised by what the people around you have been going through themselves and you might just find that you have more in common than you thought.
So start with yourself, change your attitude. You'll be surprised by how much that can change the people around you.
Love,
Natalie
It seems like even in a world where depression and other mental disorders is quite common there is still this stigma that it's something to be ashamed of. It's seen as something that shouldn't be discussed in public. People are afraid they'll be judged because of their disorder and therefore won't tell anyone.
That just makes the problem worse though. Because we, the people who have these mental disorders, internalize almost everything. If we're sad we keep it in, if we're angry we keep it in, even sometimes if we're happy we keep it in, because we don't want to hold other people responsible. We don't want someone to feel like they have to fix us, because we can't be fixed. And that's OK!
People think of mental disorders as things like depression, schizophrenia, and extreme cases like that. But there are so many that are a lot less noticeable and a lot less discussed. Panic attacks, anxiety, multiple personality disorder, and things like that are swept under the rug, forgotten. And the people who suffer from those disorders that aren't often talked about and discussed tend to feel like they have to hide their problem, like it's something to be ashamed of because no one's talking about it.
But we can talk about people physical ailments all day long. I can ask about your friend who's going through cancer treatments, or you can ask how my friend is after surgery, and that's normal. But when it comes to asking somebody about their mental health it's top secret and it's taboo to discuss. I feel like that's why so many kids and teenagers who suffer from these disorders don't want to talk about it, because they think it's wrong and that they're weird for having this thing that's different about them.
So, how do we change this? How do we change societies mindset? And I don't have that answer, but what I can say is that we have to start with ourselves and the people around us. We have to show them that we shouldn't be afraid to talk about our mental health. Start with one person, talk to them about it...be completely honest...hold nothing back. And you'll realize how amazing that feels and want to keep going. Trust me it's hard and it's scary and oh my gosh it makes you want to puke sometimes, but do it anyway. You'll be surprised by what the people around you have been going through themselves and you might just find that you have more in common than you thought.
So start with yourself, change your attitude. You'll be surprised by how much that can change the people around you.
Love,
Natalie
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