Mental illness and Halloween.

Not the two words I thought would need to be discussed again, but unfortunately, it does. Seems that if a topic is not addressed or mentioned briefly, there is no big deal. Well, newsflash, it is a big deal and needs to be talked about, because believe it or not, this is reality.

I was reading an article on my school's student-run newspaper Facebook page from the Huffington Post. The title of the article read "Mental Illness is a Health Condition, Not Halloween Entertainment" (feel free to look it up) and as I read it, I was not at all surprised, but pained and annoyed. Three theme parks had to shut down their asylum, mental-patient like exhibits, because many people did not like the fact that mentally ill people were being portrayed as such. These exhibits were changed afterward to a more appropriate one, but the mark had been left.

Halloween for me was fun as a kid. Like many, I dressed up in various costumes such as a bumble bee, a princess, Raggedy Anne, and Detective Olivia Benson (from the drama television series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit). I went out trick-or-treating with friends and family, getting compliments on my costume as I went from house to house. Never did I think that in later years, a costume could portray a serious real life issue into entertainment for all to see.

Here's where the newsflash comes in, loud and clear. Mental illness of any kind, whether it be depression, clinical depression, anxiety, bipolar, DID, etc. are NOT Halloween entertainment. There is no excuse, no 'if's,' 'an's' or 'but's' about it. This is a real-life issue that people have. I have a mental illness. I know a few of my friends do as well and so do some people in my family. There are also many celebrities, such as actors and comedians, who do as well. As anyone can see, we are not the picture of the mental-patient Halloween costumes that illustrates the Huffington Post article. A mental-illness is not a costume we put on once a year. We wear that everyday of the year, from the time of diagnosis. Medication is not used to control the person, it is to control the illness, so that does not make people dangerous. The monster is the illness, not the person themselves. We battle this monster everyday, without weapons, armor or a shield, but with strength, willingness, and motivation to beat it. Mental illness is the reality, not some fantasy. Stop putting mental-illness in a box of stereotypes. The people with this illness want to be accepted and loved, not shunned away, looked down upon, shamed, and disregarded by society. They want to be loved, accepted, listened to, and understood for who they are as people beyond the illness itself.

As Halloween comes and the costumes are worn, don't make a fool out of or exclude people with a mental-illness. Keep your arms and heart open, because they are real people with real life battles, just like you.

"People who are dealing with depression, addiction or suicidal thoughts or mental illness, they're strong. You're strong because you've been in this fight and you wake up thinking you're going to beat it again today. Always keep fighting."

---Jared Padalecki, actor from Supernatural