Mental illness holds a stigma that makes it an improper topic to discuss. It is one of those “hush-hush” subjects. There are those who do not believe that it exists. There are those who believe they have every condition in the book because they have a single trait. There are those who actually do have all of those conditions and seek out treatment. There are those who also suffer from mental illness and do not or cannot seek out treatment.

Talking about it usually makes others very uncomfortable. It puts them in an awkward atmosphere that they aren’t sure how to proceed into. Despite this general discomfort, it seems that nearly everyone has something in one way or another. But what is mental illness?

It is caused by an error in the brain. Whether it be low or high production of chemicals like Serotonin or Dopamine, neurons misfiring, or something else running amok. But what causes these errors? Well, mental illnesses can be caused by genetics, biology (defects), psychological trauma, and/or environmental stressors.

Gone untreated, these conditions, these illnesses, can make functioning in society very difficult. They can make existing a very difficult process. Some seek out desensitization by locking themselves in the dark with ear plugs. Others can’t find the motivation to put on their “strong face”, let alone to get out of bed to face the world. Even more believe that they are being spied on or that everyone wants them dead. There are volumes of conditions and symptoms.

Since these conditions have such a huge impact on someone, this negative perspective on and about mental illnesses and those who suffer from them can be extremely detrimental to the situation. It can prevent people from seeking out the help that they need or to cease choosing to receive that help.

There are those who believe that one can simply decide to be okay. If they put in enough effort, it’ll go away. Right? Just go outside and kick a ball. That’ll help. That’s what those who do not believe in mental illness say. But how does that “fix” chemical imbalances? How does that help someone figure out that their brain is misfiring and showing them things that are not truly there?

It doesn’t.

That approach makes someone second guess themselves. It makes them decide to suffer in silence. If they vocalize their problem again, they will wind up feeling ashamed again. Their problems will go untreated and quite possibly escalate to new altitudes.

Then you have those that are seeking help silently. They shield the part of their life, like medications and therapy, from the people around them. Now only a part of them is working to improve their health. They can’t become fully immersed in doing so because they are worried that it will be obvious. These people are often on a very thin sheet of ice, treading very slowly to reach the distant safer shores.

Sometimes this ice is so thin because they are not full-heartedly in their treatment programs. They may hide things from the doctors. They may learn how to respond in order to be finished sooner. They may destroy their medications or not take them properly.

The second that someone learns about their condition and/or treatment, the risk of that ice cracking becomes very high. The one suffering from the illness may abandon their treatments and return to their life of suffering or they revert back to square one, all of that work and time wasted. Ideally, they have the proper support system to continue with their treatments.

In the best case scenario, someone suffering from any mental illness follows their treatment programs and has a very good support system. These conditions can’t be “cured” easily. Typically, they have to be maintained and treated for the rest of the person’s life.

So, the next time someone feels comfortable enough to share that they have a condition, illness, or however they choose to label it, try not to immediately shut them down. You will probably cause more harm than good. All that you have to do is listen. You don’t need to offer advice. Just. Listen.

If you feel like you should seek out or that you need help, please don’t be afraid to do so. It will help you immensely once you find what works best. There are hotlines for emergencies but don’t let it get that far. Take that brave step onto the ice. Go at your own pace. You’ll make it to the shore. If nothing else, I believe in you. Yes. You.

You can do it.