Just by looking at me, you wouldn't think I suffer from any mental illnesses. You wouldn't think I would be a person who self-harms and has thought about killing herself. For some people, their first reaction to finding out all of this about me would be to pity me, to feel sorry for me. Others offer hope and words of comfort, and others turn my demons into beautiful dancers who prance throughout my body. Unfortunately, that's not what they are.
These demons are scarier than the monsters under your bed and the boogie man in your closet. Every day millions of people struggle with these illnesses and addictions. They deal with the ups and downs that go with these things. Those who suffer from mental illnesses and addictions know just how dangerous they can be and the damage they can do. As much as I would like to think that the illnesses that have hurt me so much could be beautiful things, they're not. My depression isn't the friend I've always longed for. Someone shouldn't love me just because I have anxiety. These are serious problems that I and others face every day, and people lose their lives because of these illnesses and addictions.
I have seen too many posts on social media about how sexy someone with a mental illness is. How having scars on your body from self-harm is a new trend. My scars are not beautiful; they remind me of the struggles I've faced, and the bad times I've gone through. There should be no metaphor for how beautiful self-harm is. If I see one more post about how the blade I use to hurt myself is a paintbrush painting a beautiful portrait across my skin, I might just go crazy. Self-harm is an addiction that needs to be taken seriously. It needs to be treated, not romanticized.
Metaphors can be used to help someone understand their illness or addiction. My counselor once told me to think of my depression as me having two broken legs. And to leave my room, I would need to go up a flight of stairs, and there is no elevator or shortcuts. There would be absolutely no way for me to be able to leave. It would be physically impossible for me to leave my room, and, because I have something holding me back, I shouldn't beat myself up over it. I should take care of myself, and, when the time comes, I will be able to leave. It put things into perspective for me and helped me to understand. A metaphor to make depression or anxiety or whatever illness beautiful, should not be used. You are not "bipolar" because you had a mood swing. Using mental illness out of context is harmful. People who are in desperate need of help may not get the help they need because they are not believed. Their parents or doctors may think they are just being overdramatic.
Mental illnesses and the addictions associated with them are serious. There needs to be more light shed on them, but not light that is going to demean them or make people think they are a joke. Mental health is not a romantic fairytale waiting to be told to the world; it's an everyday battle that millions of people fight. Help spread the word to support the people who suffer instead of minimizing their chances of getting help.
