Life can be difficult enough as it is for teenagers, and those in their early twenties, but if you are suffering from any type of mental illness, it can be that much worse. People can be very insensitive, which is why I would like to tell you about 11 things that people struggling with mental illness do NOT want to hear brought up in a low key conversation.
*This article may contain words and phrases that could trigger certain feelings for those suffering with a mental illness!
1. "I can't be late or I'll literally have a panic attack!"
This one is used way too often by people who don't suffer with an anxiety disorder. The people that say this have most likely never felt true anxiety, nor have they suffered from panic attacks and having an anxiety disorder. Not only does it make people with anxiety frustrated, it also puts down the reality that anxiety disorders are real things that many people struggle with and they are most definitely not something to be joked around about.
2. "I didn't finish my paper on time. I'm gonna kill myself."
No. Just no. NEVER joke around about anything relating to suicide. Just because you didn't finish your paper doesn't mean you're suicidal. Once again, suicide is a VERY serious topic and condition and should never be taken lightly. This is said very often and it is almost always followed by a laugh. People that are suicidal often don't come out about their feelings because they're so engulfed in their terrible thoughts and they need professional help ... not because they didn't finish a paper for a class.
3. "How did you lose weight so fast?! I wish I could become anorexic for a month."
Leave. You do NOT wish that you could become anorexic for a month. People that struggle with eating disorders do not want to have their disease and wish that they could be free from their disordered thoughts. Along with all that "beautiful weight loss" comes a low heart rate, always being cold, dizziness, memory loss, brittle nails, hair loss... the list goes on. Trust me, it's not worth it, and it's very insulting to anyone struggling with an eating disorder.
4. "You don't look depressed."
Thanks. I try really hard not to "look depressed." Most people with depression do not mope around flaunting their depression. Ever heard of the million ways the quote "fake a smile" has been used? No? I'm sorry that I don't "look" like my mental illness because that must mean that I don't struggle with it, right ladies?!
5. "People that self-harm only do it for attention."
You're right in that some people do self-harm for attention. But underneath that needing attention are deep rooted personal issues that need to be worked in order to keep from taking their emotional pain out on themselves. Most of the time, this is not the case. It's not for attention and self-harm is no joke. People go to all measures to cover up their scars and feel as if they need to wear certain clothing to cover up their scars that embarrass them. Self-harm is a serious and common issue associated with many different mental illnesses, and although the reason is different for many people, a reoccurring theme is that the struggling individual is facing intense internal conflict and self-harms either as a punishment or a way to cope with what they're going through. And more times than not, they don't want your attention.
6. "I am so bipolar I keep changing my mind and I can never decide on what I want to wear!"
Really? You must be 10 types of stupid to use a mental illness as an adjective because you keep changing your mind. Being bipolar is an actual disease that is a chemical imbalance and people struggling take medication just so that they can live a normal life.
7. "I will never forget when I fell on stage. I have bad PTSD from that."
So you really have bad PTSD? PTSD (or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a serious condition that affects not only veterans, but also people that have been through serious life traumas. Some symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, feeling like the event is happening again and many more that I will never be able to comprehend. Living with PTSD is scary and the people that face their traumas while they sleep or have flashbacks while they're awake are some of the strongest human beings. They have survived something so horrible that their brain cannot even begin to process it. Intense therapy and willingness to heal from PTSD are the only way to overcome the disorder.
8. "You're making all of this up."
I most definitely am not making all of this up. If i could escape the monsters in my head, then trust me when I say that I most definitely would. I would give all that I have to think positively and actually like myself. I WISH I could get over all of this. I really wish I could, but I am in recovery and for you to tell me that I'm making all of this up makes me feel even worse. Why would I make all of this up? I didn't ask for this!
9. "Why can't you just be normal?"
Why can't I just be "normal?" Why can't you just learn to do something called "support" me?
10. "Maybe if you leave your house... you'd be a lot happier."
People like this make me not want to leave my house. :-)
11. "You have everything you want, so why are you like this?"
Why am I like this??? (*Eye Roll*)
