Before I begin, I want everyone to know that I am not trying to make anyone who suffers from a mental illness think they are not cute, or special, or amazing, because you are. Having a mental illness is nothing to be embarrassed about, or ashamed of. Millions of people suffer from a whole array of mental illness, including myself, so I get it. What I don't get however, is why there are people out there who claim they suffer from one of these illnesses when they don't. Just because you are skinny doesn't mean you're Anorexic, and just because you're upset it does not mean you're depressed.
For people who truly suffer from these things, it's difficult to listen to people "brag" about being OCD when in reality they just like to stay organized. I was diagnosed with OCD in the 3rd grade. That meant every morning before school I suffered from panic attacks. It was brutal for everyone in my family, including me. I didn't want to go to school because I didn't want to get germs from other people. I still spend way too long showering so I am extra clean, and I wash my hands or use hand sanitizer way more than the normal person. Because of this, you can understand my frustration that when I tell someone seriously that I have OCD, and their response is a casual "Oh me too."
We are a generation of acceptance. We've made tremendous strides throughout the LGBTQ community, we're working towards equality for women, people of different races, and disabilities. I'm so proud to be a part of a generation that does not discriminate against others, however, when it comes to mental illnesses, we tend to romanticize them.
There are people out there who really believe that sitting in a coffee shop feeling depressed on a rainy day, contemplating if life is really worth it, is cute. We need to get one thing straight. It's not cute to romanticize mental illness!!! I can tell you from my own experience that having a panic attack every day for years of your life, during your childhood and even now, is not cute. It's not something I'm ashamed of, but it's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
It isn't cute to not eat for a few hours and say you're Anorexic. I've gone 4 whole days without eating anything and the dehydration, cracked lips, and pale skin along with the fatigue and exhaustion, ISN'T CUTE. The aftermath of starving yourself ISN'T CUTE. Thin hair, pants that used to fit you but are now too big, NOT CUTE.
Constantly having to wash your hands and shower so you feel clean, ISN'T CUTE. It actually eats up a huge chunk of your day when you add up all the time you spend doing this. Thoughts that control your mind and make you feel one way, when in reality it isn't true, IS NOT CUTE. Pretending that you are one of us who has to suffer from these things, is especially NOT CUTE.
Do you know what is cute though? Supporting one another. Instead of trying to say "me too" say "how can I help? Is there anything you need?" I need to work on this too, believe me. But it's important that we stop trying to outdo each other on who has it the worst. Everyone has struggles, everyone has things in their life that have happened to them that define who they are. If we sat down and compared each bad thing that has happened to us, where would that get us? Why would it matter? What matters is that we are here, we are surviving, and we are caring for each other. What matters is that we stay as healthy as we can, take care of our bodies, our minds, and our souls. We need to protect those who can't protect themselves, and if we see something that isn't right, we need to step in and fix it, because that is what's cute.
IT IS cute to help our friends and family because they are the people who will take care of us. Let's stop romanticizing this idea of pain and suffering and start imagining how great our lives would be if we spent less time worrying and more time calming our minds and experiencing the world.
The next time you're in a coffee shop and you want to sit and pretend that darkness is surrounding you and nothing matters, remember the people around you. Remember that there is still hope in humanity. More strangers in the world are nice than they are rude. Take a minute to appreciate the weather, how beautiful the sky is, the leaves on the trees, the rain. Take a minute to observe the atmosphere around you, the music playing, the people talking. Take a second and remember, everything is going to be okay, because if it's not okay, it's not the end.
