One of the many misconceptions of mental illness is the use of a straight jacket. Ok, so that one was easy right? They say I am mentally ill, but I was never told that the straight jacket is antiquated. But, then I learn that medicine is used as a straight jacket instead of the real thing. But, that is still the real thing. Medicine.
To understand the fear that patients face, go back to your childhood. What did your family say when you noticed a mentally ill person. What did your friends say. How about the media. Hmmm.....
You probably went along with the idea that being "mentally ill" is bad and that it won't happen to you cause someone said so. Probably from someone in the family.
Then there is the burden of truth. Trying to prove to everyone that you are not "one of them" and that you don't need that awful medicine that makes you look crazy. Cause, I'm still me inside. "Please, I don't want to take this medicine because it makes me look crazy. I see the way it affects my physical character and I don't like it."
Please, when did I stop being me and became crazy to you?
I'm still the me I remember. Why is it that all my dreams are crushed, just because you! say so?
There should be stricter laws on committing someone. Because, as far as I remember it only takes two people and a judge to take away someone's dream of the future.
It is this dream that is one of the problems. As I iterated in the article "Surviving mental illness from the inside out 2" in June 2012, not a single child growing up announces 'they want to grow up to be mentally ill'.
Now, why is that?
Fear. Fear of innuendo and labels. So that would be three.
That folks is part of the stigma and they (the medical staff) try to 'teach' "us" coping skills. What exactly are we supposed to grin and bear it? Discrimination. Plain. Simple.
So, if you can no longer grin and bear it, take a breath and then go to my article "Vocabulary ABC's in Mental Health Circles"
and educate. Educate yourself, your family, your friends. Educate anyone. Educate everyone.
If we get the word out more and more, the fear of mental illness might become "learned" with mental disorder.
To understand the fear that patients face, go back to your childhood. What did your family say when you noticed a mentally ill person. What did your friends say. How about the media. Hmmm.....
You probably went along with the idea that being "mentally ill" is bad and that it won't happen to you cause someone said so. Probably from someone in the family.
Then there is the burden of truth. Trying to prove to everyone that you are not "one of them" and that you don't need that awful medicine that makes you look crazy. Cause, I'm still me inside. "Please, I don't want to take this medicine because it makes me look crazy. I see the way it affects my physical character and I don't like it."
Please, when did I stop being me and became crazy to you?
I'm still the me I remember. Why is it that all my dreams are crushed, just because you! say so?
There should be stricter laws on committing someone. Because, as far as I remember it only takes two people and a judge to take away someone's dream of the future.
It is this dream that is one of the problems. As I iterated in the article "Surviving mental illness from the inside out 2" in June 2012, not a single child growing up announces 'they want to grow up to be mentally ill'.
Now, why is that?
Fear. Fear of innuendo and labels. So that would be three.
That folks is part of the stigma and they (the medical staff) try to 'teach' "us" coping skills. What exactly are we supposed to grin and bear it? Discrimination. Plain. Simple.
So, if you can no longer grin and bear it, take a breath and then go to my article "Vocabulary ABC's in Mental Health Circles"
and educate. Educate yourself, your family, your friends. Educate anyone. Educate everyone.
If we get the word out more and more, the fear of mental illness might become "learned" with mental disorder.