When I was growing up, I was surrounded by different types of mental health issues in my family. A mentally retarded uncle, several people with depression, and even anxiety, just to name a few. When I was younger, I thought nothing of my Uncle Jackie being mentally retarded and therefore different from the rest of us. My mom explained to me that although he was old, his mind was not developed past the thought of a child. He was a man that had the mind of a kid, and to me, that was just fine.
In elementary school, I was the kid that did not mind having an assigned seat next to the kids who were in Special Education. I didn't mind giving them some of the extra attention they needed. When I got older, I was able to empathize with people who were sad or constantly nervous; I've always had a soft spot for helping people that needed it.
What I did not know myself is that I too was suffering from depression and anxiety. Throughout most of my life there was always this dull but consistent thought in the back of my head that something was not right. I would get angry and snap at people I cared about too easily, I always felt a persistent melancholy that I could not quite put my finger on, and I was always nervous. Always. Minor setbacks in my life would send me into a tailspin, and I began to think I was actually going crazy.
I got to college and eventually I could not put it off any longer. I tried to ignore what I had been feeling, and although some of my friends had been able to confront their issues and accept who they were, I was afraid. I was afraid that I wasn't normal, and that this is not the life that was cut out for me. I wasn't supposed to be like this, and so I pushed those thoughts under the rug. I was concerned about being the "crazy bitch", so to speak. I almost thought that it was okay for everyone else to confront and accept their issues, but if I did, that was admitting that something was wrong with me. But it began to take over my life, and I knew I had to do something about it.
I started seeing a therapist. I started talking about my issues, and how I exactly felt about them. How I was afraid to admit that there was anything wrong with me, and that I could possibly be "not normal". And what I discovered was not that the issue itself was me, but my fear of what people would think about me as a result of my problems. The biggest problem we face this day in age is the way people look at each other if they suffer from some type of mental illness.
More often than not, you meet someone that has some kind of internal struggle. And that doesn't mean that they're any different, or should be treated differently. The problem with mental illness is that it is labeled as a problem. When someone thinks that there is something wrong with them, they are afraid to get help and it just perpetuates the cycle. People should start focusing on the fact that taking medicine to correct your body's chemistry does not mean there is anything wrong with you. Think about it; if a person is unfortunately diagnosed with cancer, more often than not people don't deny them treatment that could make them feel better. So you wouldn't deny a cancer patient proper treatment, why should you deny that for someone with mental health issues? Even if medicine may not be the correct answer in any specific case, people still should not be discriminated against because of their other coping mechanisms. So what if you're not a teenager but still keep a diary? So what if another person can't sing or dance, but their therapy is screaming a song at the top of their lungs and dance like an idiot? Who cares if someone needs to take a break from outside stimulation from the world around them and count to ten and take a bunch of deep breaths?
My point is, what's the big deal? Why do people make a habit of putting others down because they have their own way of coping with things? Why do people feel the need to make a mockery of people who may tend to feel a little deeper, or act a little differently? We are human beings, and I believe that part of our purpose of being on this earth is to take care of one another, no matter the circumstances. People are people. We are individuals. We should take care of each other, and give a little extra love to the ones who need it. The only thing crazy about being "crazy" is the fact that everyone keeps describing it as just that. Spread the love to each other.
