People with mental illness are often shunned and treated as though they have leprosy. Society has inevitably made it so that if you do suffer with a mental illness, you are considered “crazy, psychotic, and unstable.” It becomes an unspoken truth that in the end, hurts many because they fear judgement will be passed on to them. I can personally relate to mental illness because I myself have suffered with it before. Too many go undiagnosed or seek proper treatment because they fear what may be “wrong” with them. That’s what we need to remember, though. There is absolutely nothing “wrong” with you.

Society has shunned mental illness for so long that we have forgotten not only the dangers of letting it go untreated, but also of not getting diagnosed. We put ourselves at risk for dangerous situations such as suicide attempts or being institutionalized simply because you didn’t know you had a mental illness or you did and you chose to ignore seeking help for the terrible fear of judgement. Let me say this again, though. If you or someone you love has a mental illness, please trust me when I say, there is nothing “wrong” with you. It doesn’t mean you were born defective, that you are sick, or that you should even be treated differently than someone without a mental illness. Instead, you should be given the opportunity to be understood and understand that you can feel whatever “normalcy” feels like.

I have personally encountered many a friends that suffered with mental illnesses and are either seeking treatment or are getting treatment and are taking medication for their concerns. Just because you may require medication does not mean you are sick. I don’t believe you need to classify yourself into a different societal group either. The first lesson in understanding mental illness is simple. You or your loved one is not a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. We are not dangerous individuals that will harm you and we ask for the same respect that you would give others.

It’s often seen and heard of equally that mental illness is not only brushed under the rug by many, but people find it to be a casualty when it’s discussed. For example, when you over hear someone talking about a friend of theirs and make a comment about her personality by stating, she is so bipolar, she really needs to take a Xanax!” Not only is this such a slap in the face and highly disrespectful, it goes in line with regards to discussing those with Down’s Syndrome and calling them “retarded.” Point blank, don’t pass judgement on something you probably know very little about.

Chances are you have suffered with an episode of mental illness yourself. You know that feeling when you get when your stomach is in knots, you begin to sweat, your mind runs ramped, and you can’t breathe? My friend, that feeling is anxiety and possibly even a panic disorder. Now imagine your emotions mimicking as though you were on a roller coaster. One minute you feel great, so fantastic that you go out spend copious amounts of money or find yourself behaving irrationally to an extensive extent. Then it happens either over time or suddenly where you feel as though you’re on Disney’s Tower of Terror ride and you come crashing down. This is commonly referred to as Bipolar disorder. While some that suffer with Bipolar disorder don’t experience both the ups and the downs, it is important to understand that it can happen. Then there is our good old haunting friend, depression.

Depression likes to sneak up behind you while you’re having a good time, working, or even relaxing. It doesn’t segregate; it just migrates into your mind where it likes to bury itself deep inside. It essentially cloaks you in a dark cloth and all you see is opaque darkness. Your heart weighs just as heavy as your mind and you don’t always know why. Sometimes it just sneaks out of nowhere and other times, well, other times it just happens to be reminding you of previous challenges you have faced along the way. I have battled depression myself and I have no shame in my game. It is a painful experience that I wish on no one, but chances are, it will likely happen. While there are countless mental illnesses, I do want to raise awareness by mentioning Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and honor the Veterans along with those currently serving, which suffer with this tragic feeling.

PTSD is one of the worst situations I have ever lived to say I personally experienced. I remember when I was diagnosed because it was shortly after my Grandmother passed away. I would have severe panic attacks, anxiety that was uncontrollable, I would break out into hives, and wouldn’t be able to breathe. I would quite honestly revert back to the memories of losing her and while I can’t list the triggers, the memories haunt me. However, those that fight and have fought for our country suffer with this more often than not. It’s an unfortunate aspect of being in the service and it can be dangerous to those that experience it. So with that said, not only do I understand, to a certain degree, what it is like to have experienced PTSD, but more importantly, I want to graciously thank you for putting your lives at risk not only on the war zone, but mentally battling PTSD too.

It’s important to realize that mental illness isn’t just treated with “psych wards” and medication. I find it so painful when someone says, “lock them up in the looney bin!” We don’t deserve to be spoken to or about in such a manner. If you aren’t going to support us and be a source of encouragement, then please do us a favor and move on with your life, but without us in it. We have no room for negativity in our lives. Mental illness is treated in an array of ways that many don’t even think is a form of treatment. Support and encouragement is so important to being successfully mentally sound and healthy. Without support, the journey to living a “normal” life, whatever that really means, is much more difficult and harder to cope.

Along with a strong support system and positive encouragement, there are other options. Yes, there is counseling, visits with a Psychiatrist who can prescribe medication, a Psychologist who you can speak to with as frequently as advised, but there are also other options to consider if you or someone you know is battling a mental illness. Exercise is an excellent source of therapy because it not only releases Endorphins (the happy hormones), but it is also good for your body and your mental well-being all together. For those of you that snub your nose to the gym, relax, there are many forms of exercise. Yoga is an outstanding form of exercise because it teaches meditation and to focus on the entire body and mind equally.

Talking to family and friends is also a great source of therapy. Sometimes we aren’t comfortable talking to a stranger about our challenges, so when you have the opportunity to, I highly recommend communicating with those you love. This not only gives them insight as to what is going on in your world, but it also provides them the opportunity to learn from you about mental illness and also learn ways to help you personally. Breathing exercises are also a source of therapy that help because it makes you focus on one thing; your breathing, and it clears your mind too. Finally, this is my personal favorite, but writing down thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences can not only help you cope and meditate, it can also help you communicate better.

Allow me to remind you of this once more. Mental illness does not define you. It does not mean you are sick and quite honestly, you probably have your life together much more than you think or even realize. The people that comment negatively and judge you because you face challenges every day, those people are the ill ones. Whatever “normalcy” is to you, go get it and live it. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, please strive to help them in any way possible. If they don’t want help, offer it anyway. Sometimes we shut people out because we don’t want to bring down those that we love the most. When battling with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or even PTSD, and yes, you can “have” more than one mental illness at one time, understand that you don’t need to react negatively to your life. If you or someone you love is questionably in danger or threatening to harm themselves or others, there is help available.

So to my mental illness warriors, keep fighting because you can conquer anything life throws at you, and yes, even with a mental illness. To my supporters and encouragers, we want to thank you for all of your love and support. It means so much to us that you take the time to understand what we go through and find ways to help us. Therefore, for all of those facing a mental illness, please know that it will be okay. It may take time, but it will be okay. Please seek help if you feel that you need it and do not be ashamed, because this is not your identity.