Mental illnesses have this way of eroding your soul to a place filled with darkness. They have the ability to consume one’s mind. Mental illnesses are a serious predicament that deeply affects our social and financial structures, and one’s process of discovering the strength to find the missing pieces of them; in order to conquer the darkness and obtain resilience.

Mental illnesses have a tremendous impact on our society in a social manner. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day. Each person will have different experiences, even people with the same diagnosis.” In addition, Angela Chen writes in “The Verge” that “queer teens are four times more likely to commit suicide” according to data from the CDC; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults are often less healthy, both because of trouble getting health care, and because factors like social stigma lead to higher rates of depression and mental illness. Also, “previous studies have found that LGBT teens are more likely to be homeless and are at higher risk for suicide.” Moreover, “one in five U.S. youngsters has a mental disorder, but we know little about the effects of these disorders on child outcomes,” as stated in article, “Child Mental Health and Human Capital Accumulation: The Case of ADHD,” written by Janet Currie and Mark Stabile. As displayed through the pieces of evidence, mental illness is a serious topic and a lingering quandary within our social structure.

Not only do mental disorders have an influence on our social structure, they also have an effect on our financial structure within our society. For instance, “Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone,” according to a new study funded by the national institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Also, nonprofit organization Unite for Sight holds that “psychological disorders result in lowered individual productivity at work. A 2001 study found that five to six million U.S. workers aged 16 to 54 years ‘lose, fail to seek, or cannot find employment’ due to mental illness. Reduced earnings and decreased employment potential put mentally ill individuals at an increased risk of poverty.” The evidence clearly demonstrates that psychological disorders have negative effects on society, but most importantly on individuals who suffer with an illness.

Through my personal experiences, I know that the depression and darkness utilizes guile in order to accumulate autonomy, and to dissuade you to be stuck in tunnel vision. Sometimes, the heart fails once you allow the pain flow in your bloodstream. It feels like you do not have enough power to conquer that pain, and create something beautiful. This particular perspective continued to linger throughout my difficult journey. As an 18 year old, I’ve experienced so many events that completely morphed my life. As a child, I observed so much negativity, and it felt like the paintbrush had some way of painting my atmosphere pitch black. The cycle of pain continued to circulate. During my eighth grade year, my parent’s bond was not strong enough to lift the weight. During my freshman year, the year of dilapidation, I had a late reaction to the events that occurred the previous year, especially when my mother departed physically from my life. I felt like the condensation would never clear out of my mind. I began to cope with my emotions negatively, by self-harm and self-loathing. This escalated very rapidly to the point that I had to be hospitalized at a mental institution for my major depressive disorder and anxiety. I realized that I had lost control of myself throughout the years. I never wanted to observe my own reflection. I felt like all of my paintings became more tedious. No synthesis of sublime and extraordinary colors. However, throughout the years, I realized that I am a strong person with the tremendous support from the essential people in my life. Yes, I had my faults. Mistakes have been made. I’ve experienced so much pain and despair in the past. This is a part of the metacognition of life. Reflection is about alleviating the human condition. There was decomposition, but I began to cultivate beautifully.

No human being deserves to languish in solitude, because of the despondent delineation of the color blue, the excessive consumption of self-loathing and hopelessness is extremely deleterious to one’s health. Many people within society suffer with various illnesses leading to an accumulation of suicides, grief, and so much more. It’s so melancholy. We have to collaborate and continue to diffuse awareness; in order to heal one’s heart with our ambition and passion. We can’t give up or lose hope. We have to make a difference. We all possess the resilience. We just have to bolster each other with discovering it within.