April showers are leaving us to bring forth May flowers, (and Mayflowers bring genocide and blankets full of smallpox, but that is a rant that you'll all have to wait a little while to hear from me) and a new month means a new cause of which to be aware! May is National Mental Health Month, and even if you don't have a mental illness, there are still some important things to keep in mind:
1. "Mentally ill" and "crazy" are not interchangeable terms.
Those who suffer from mental illness already have enough to deal with regardless of neurotypical folks assuming that they are insane. A manic depressive person is not "just having mood swings." A person with panic disorder does not constantly walk around, thinking that the sky is going to cave in. A person with social anxiety disorder is not a reclusive serial killer who only speaks to himself. Get these stereotypes out of your head! They are harmful and incorrect. In fact, some of the nicest people I have ever known have suffered or currently suffer from mental illness.
2. People other than thin, pretty white women suffer from mental illness.
Regardless of what the media would have us think, a vast array of individuals are susceptible to mental illness. In fact, suicide is the second highest cause of death among Native Americans. Twenty-one percent of the Native American population suffers from mental illness, which perpetuates "incalculable human suffering." Yikes. Why are we not talking more about this? Why does the media portray mental illness as some blonde woman crying in her pajamas while watching soap operas? Do they not realize that black and latino people have it like ten times worse than white people due to increased stigma in their communities? I'm angry. Let's move on.
3. Please don't pass my illness off as "not that bad" because you happen to be going through something worse.
I understand. You're going through a lot right now. Everyone has their off days. Sometimes those off days turn into off weeks or off months. However, don't use this as an excuse to tell me that I just "need to cheer up because other people have it a lot worse" than I do. I'm aware of this. I know that there is no logical reason for me to be sad. I just am. Because my brain tells me to be. So, you're having a bad day, I'm having a bad day... let's sit down, have a bad day together, and support each other through the sadness instead of trying to one-up each other.
4. Please stop throwing around phrases such as "depressed," "anorexic," "kill myself," and many more.
Ah, yes. Nothing I love more than walking by a group of people and hearing someone say, ever so casually, "You're so thin, it's almost like you're anorexic," followed with a giggle and maybe a poke at the said "anorexic" person's ribs. NO. Do not do this. Anorexia and other mental illnesses are not to be joked about. You wouldn't hear someone coughing and say, "Wow, you're really coughing a lot; it's almost like you have lung cancer. Haha!" When a person uses these harmful phrases out of context, it makes it even harder for those of us who actually have these illnesses to escape the constant stigma surrounding us.
5. You can help us fight the stigma.
As I have already mentioned, stop throwing around phrases about mental disorders like they're nothing. Stop shaming and whispering behind the backs of those who have visible self-harm remnants on their skin. Stop acting like mental health is something so taboo that we can't openly talk about it in public. Stop referring to the mentally ill as "crazy." If you want to help us escape the constant shame that comes along with an already debilitating illness, do these things. We appreciate it greatly.
6. You just might be right there with us.
Since this upcoming month is Mental Health Month, you could join in the celebration by making sure that all the clockwork is running smoothly up in your head. By this, I mean that it can never hurt for you to get yourself checked out, psychologically, just because everyone undergoes stress and hardships, and it will be of much benefit to you if you go see a professional to make sure that none of it is taking a toll on your mental health. It's always good to know!
7. But that doesn't mean that there's something wrong with you.
If you do find out that you have a mental illness, it absolutely does not mean that anything is "wrong" with you. Mental illnesses are just as real and serious as physical ones. You are not crazy. Just like having a broken leg, a piece of your brain is just currently broken. With medicine and therapy, there is hope that you can work through it and even someday make a full recovery.
8. It's okay not to be okay.
My best friend reminds me of this every day, whether she knows it or not.
So, Han, this one's for you.
