Have a mental disorder? Are you embarrassed to admit that you
have a mental illness? Do you feel like you have to hide your diagnosis? Well, you are not alone.
Embarrassment, whether public or private is real and if taken
to the extreme it can cause someone to have suicidal ideations. The
holidays are just around the corner. You know what that means, family gatherings. Family can sometimes be the worst offenders,
they are set in their ways.
I, only recently, have become open about my mental illness. At first, it was embarrassing and I tried to choose people that seemed like they might be open. I share my blog and I sometimes talk one on one with them. I hope my blog is helping. Just by word of mouth, many nations have looked at this blog. I had business cards made, so I could gain more views. I write in this blog, because I think that mental illness needs explaining. Slowly, the public is coming around to some sort of understanding.
But, embarrassment is natural. People can sometimes say and do some really hurtful things toward mentally ill citizens. I am open
now, but when I first was diagnosed, I was in the closet and didn't want anyone to know that I had been classified as one of the mentally ill populace.
I found out, that the more open you are about your mental illness, you meet more people who are willing to listen. Sometimes, it is difficult to broach the subject, but it is like speaking to crowds, you get used to it.
Another way that I overcame embarrassment, was the continuation of my education at college and learning about how people think and grow. I am hoping to fill with information what the public has, and that is ignorance. People are afraid of what they
cannot understand. It is this fear that fuels others into the closet about having a mental illness, because most likely, they are ignorant too.
So, in conclusion, I cannot stress enough the value of learning about mental illness. They have groups for the mentally ill, and then there is school. The more information you have, the more confident you might be to coming out of the closet about your mental illness, or someone you know that has a mental illness.
Be a player, not a hater.
Remember, the more you know....check out the
Vocabulary ABC's
have a mental illness? Do you feel like you have to hide your diagnosis? Well, you are not alone.
Embarrassment, whether public or private is real and if taken
to the extreme it can cause someone to have suicidal ideations. The
holidays are just around the corner. You know what that means, family gatherings. Family can sometimes be the worst offenders,
they are set in their ways.
I, only recently, have become open about my mental illness. At first, it was embarrassing and I tried to choose people that seemed like they might be open. I share my blog and I sometimes talk one on one with them. I hope my blog is helping. Just by word of mouth, many nations have looked at this blog. I had business cards made, so I could gain more views. I write in this blog, because I think that mental illness needs explaining. Slowly, the public is coming around to some sort of understanding.
But, embarrassment is natural. People can sometimes say and do some really hurtful things toward mentally ill citizens. I am open
now, but when I first was diagnosed, I was in the closet and didn't want anyone to know that I had been classified as one of the mentally ill populace.
I found out, that the more open you are about your mental illness, you meet more people who are willing to listen. Sometimes, it is difficult to broach the subject, but it is like speaking to crowds, you get used to it.
Another way that I overcame embarrassment, was the continuation of my education at college and learning about how people think and grow. I am hoping to fill with information what the public has, and that is ignorance. People are afraid of what they
cannot understand. It is this fear that fuels others into the closet about having a mental illness, because most likely, they are ignorant too.
So, in conclusion, I cannot stress enough the value of learning about mental illness. They have groups for the mentally ill, and then there is school. The more information you have, the more confident you might be to coming out of the closet about your mental illness, or someone you know that has a mental illness.
Be a player, not a hater.
Remember, the more you know....check out the
Vocabulary ABC's