Contrary to popular belief, one in five adults experience a mental health condition every year. In addition, one in 20 live with serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Despite these shocking statistics that support how prevalent mental illness is amongst Americans, people that have mental disorders are often dismissed by society for illnesses they have no control over. They are seen as less able to contribute positively to society, despite the fact that many people with these illnesses recover from them or are able to manage them very well and go on to be extremely successful. In fact, one of the most famous post-impressionist painters of all time, Vincent Van Gogh, struggled with serious mental health issues all of his life. This visionary created over 2,000 pieces of art in his life time while battling serious bouts of depression, anxiety, hallucinations, and reported bipolar disorder. Although he suffered through these disorders, his self-optimism, compassion, and deep aspirations to create allowed him to paint some of the most famous paintings of the 20th century, including “Irises,” “The Olive Trees” and “The Starry Night.” So, whether you don’t understand mental illnesses or are currently affected by them, I hope that Van Gogh’s heart wrenchingly honest, beautiful, and inspirational words can give you an insight on the battles people face and conquer everyday living through mental health problems.
“The sadness will last forever.”
Whether you are affected by anxiety, depression, eating disorders or OCD, you can feel like you are prisoner of your own mind. You are plagued with emotional and mental disturbances that affect almost every part of your life if they are not maintained properly. It can be exhausting trying to make sense of your behavior and even harder to try and express it to others who do not understand.
“I wish they would only take me as I am.”
When the first signs of a mental illness occur, many people try to deny their feelings and thoughts because they worry about the stigma associated with having a mental disorder. In a generation obsessed with romanticizing mental illness, it is easy to feel like no one will actually value or believe the abnormal feelings you are experiencing. You blame yourself for the feelings you have when the reality is: they are not your fault. Regardless of this truth, acceptance amongst one’s peers is something everyone longs for, so living with a mental illness could easily make someone feel disconnected from the people around them.
“The beginning is perhaps more difficult than anything else, but keep heart, it will turn out all right.”
When first being diagnosed, putting a name to your feelings feels liberating. There is a huge sense of relief not feeling like you’re actually “crazy” and that there is an explanation for the thoughts and behaviors you thought were bizarre. Although you feel this kind of relief, it doesn’t take away from the fact that the initial stages of recognizing you have a disorder are messy, confusing and difficult. At first, daily tasks like getting out of bed or driving to work seem impossible. It can feel like one of the hardest things to tackle. But, the beginning is always the hardest. Eventually, you realize there is no right or wrong way of experiencing mental health issues. All you can is to continue practicing healthy habits of self-care and self-love that will motivate you to live the most productive and full life you can, even on your worst days.
“Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.”
Early on I realized that what I had been feeling and going through was not similar to what my peers struggled with. I found my mind going in circles trying to rationalize why I felt the way I did due to my own mental health issues. I wondered why I felt like my thoughts were not my own and more often than not if I was honestly and truly going insane. Instead of hating my mind, I realized that even though my human experience was going to be lived out differently than most, I did not have to be ashamed of it. Throughout the confusion I felt regularly, so much beauty came out of discovering more and more about myself everyday. The obstacles I faced only made me believe more and more that I was going through them to appreciate life and all of its complexities even more. Not taking the straight and narrow is not the easiest route to take in life, but it is often filled with the most rewards in the end.
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
It takes a huge amount of courage to not depend on the ironic comfort of depression and anxiety because in a way, those things allow us to feel like we have some sort of control over our feelings in an uncontrollable world. It takes immense strength to break free from a broken mindset and instead believe that you can achieve anything despite the presence of your illness. You are more than a label. Individually you are filled with your own dreams and aspirations and have every right to believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Even if you fail, someone once told me that the setbacks we experience will only open doors for a great comeback. In the end, your victories may just look different than others. Courage does not always mean conquering the mountaintop. It takes great courage to win even the little victories in life, which are just as special and worthy.
“Close friends are truly life's treasures. Sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. With gentle honesty, they are there to guide and support us, to share our laughter and our tears. Their presence reminds us that we are never really alone.”
One of the best ways to combat mental illness is through creating a solid support system. It is very common that people affected with these feelings have a tendency to not reach out for support because they are afraid of being judged and often not able to articulate their feelings to others. It is completely natural to feel isolated and alone in your mind, but reaching out to loved ones and creating strong life-lines in times of sadness is the best way to continue growing and working through problems in a healthy way. Even finding self-help and support groups provide a great opportunity for you to talk to others experiencing the same type of issues.
“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.”
There is so much joy to come beyond how you may feel today. We can often be our own worst enemies and put ourselves down when we think we have failed. We magnify these failures and make them seen more cataclysmic than they actually are. Many artists have this mindset as well. In fact, when Vincent Van Gogh created, “The Starry Night,” one of his most famous pieces, he stated that it was a failure in his mind. The truth is that even if we cannot see the beauty and potential we hold within ourselves, that doesn’t mean that it is not there. Wherever you are in your mental health journey, keep seeking, keep striving, and remember that you are the greatest piece of artwork out there.
