My Struggles With Mental Illness

Over the years, I’ve heard a wide variety of things said about people with mental illness. Often, these statements have been directed at me by family and friends, but just as often they’ve been directed at others, too. So, I wanted to address and examine some of these statements, why they’re harmful and help continue to perpetuate the stigma of mental illness, and how people can better educate themselves to avoid causing further harm. 1. “It’s all in your head.” This is easily one of the most common things I’ve heard. It’s also one of the most clueless and dismissive. I typically hear it from people who simply don’t want to acknowledge the existence of mental illness for one reason or another, whether it be because of their religion or for their own convenience or whatever. But the fact of the matter is that mental illness is not just all in our heads. It’s not something we’ve made up. It’s not a fiction to gain attention and sympathy. It’s not an excuse to justif...

Perhaps it’s the way they are shown in the movies. Maybe it’s the way we see them in commercials or even just their names. But let’s get something clear. Antidepressants  are not “magic pills” you take to magically make you a happy, dancing unicorn. I’ve struggled with depression for many years since my official diagnosis and for many years before that. I didn’t even know about antidepressants when I experienced my first serious depressive episode. When I started seeing a psychiatrist, it was the first time I learned about antidepressants. And from their name, I thought they were going to do wonders for me. I thought if I was good and took the prescribed amount at the right times of day, I could revert back to being the happy, go-lucky girl I used to be. Boy was I wrong. This, my friends, is the ultimate example of expectation vs. reality. Expectation: Wake up sad, empty, numb. Take your pill and suddenly the colors are brighter, food tastes better and you’re ...