Your brain is the most important organ in your body. It’s complex and fascinating, but sometimes chemicals within your brain get out of order and mental illness develops. In today’s society, it’s “trendy” to claim a neurological imbalance. Why?

Firstly, I’m not here to belittle those with a mental illness in any way. So many struggle with a disease/disorder that disrupts their life and makes everyday tasks, much harder. What many of those people are sick of seeing, are others wearing this label and making it seem romantic.

There is nothing sweet about self-hate. The scars you see displayed on so many wrists are not tiger stripes. They are not battle marks. They are a result of a personal struggle that has led them to inflict pain upon themselves. The “thinspiration” videos flooding the internet are not a motivation to be healthy, but the absolute opposite. People nowadays are encouraging each other to be sick. Starvation is not beautiful. Anorexia, Bulimia, etc. are serious disorders that can lead to death and those suffering need help to not only nourish their bodies but their minds as well. Suicide is not an act of self-sacrifice, it’s a blatant tragedy.

Depression is not short-lived sadness, and anxiety is much more than worry. Just because you are moody, does not mean you are Bipolar. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is more than being neat or needing some things to be organized. Insomnia is prolonged, and it’s not staying up all night occasionally, or drinking too much caffeine. These disorders have a serious effect. Too little sleep is dangerous for your body, you can even experience hallucinations. Depressed individuals often consider suicide, and too many do take their lives. Some with OCD find it very difficult to escape their repeating thoughts, and those with Anxiety often avoid many seemingly normal things because they are constantly on edge and afraid. Being Bipolar often means never feeling in control of your own body. None of these disorders/diseases are fun. They are not cool, cute, or a nice addition to your Tumblr bio. They are very real.

This is not a “who has it worse” competition. No one is fighting to be the sickest; the number scars on your body does not measure your worth. Everyone has their demons, but people are not made of glass. Mental illness does not turn you into a fragile human being with little ability to function, it’s a disease/disorder that people choose to tackle in different ways. So please, before you hop on the bandwagon of what’s mainstream, please be a bit more conscious of what you’re saying and how it may affect others.

What may be a label to you, is a life to someone else.