My Mental Health Awareness Soapbox

I don't get on this kick very often, but it's late and I've had way too much sugar and caffeine, so you get the real, unedited, me tonight.

Jerry is bi-polar. Karen is schizophrenic.  Susan is depressed. Tom is ADHD.  Ahhh, labels.  We seem to love them, especially when it comes to labeling people.

Mental health.  We all need it.  Most of us feel like we lack it at one time or another.  But for the people who truly struggle with mental illness, being even partially mentally healthy would be a dream come true.  For some reason, society has come to the conclusion that those who have  a mental illness are crazy, or stupid, or dangerous, or otherwise less worthy of living a good life.   As soon as one of the labels I mentioned above is given, images of what that person acts like instantly pop into most people's heads. 

The sad thing is, most of these images are inaccurate, and often quite hurtful.  We tend to marginalize those with mental illness, when they already feel excluded just based on the diagnosis alone.  As a result, the illness, or the effects of it, often become worse. It quickly becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

The truth is that people with mental illness are all around us.  It could be your neighbor, co-worker, cashier, family member, clergy, boss, homeless person, kid at the bus stop, me, or even yourself. In fact, every person I know who has some kind of mental health diagnosis appears normal most of the time.  They maintain jobs and homes, raise normal children,go to church, drive cars, get groceries and haircuts, and otherwise contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Thanks to modern medications, many of these illnesses can be controlled, but some cannot. Lifestyle changes also play an important part in maintaining mental health.  People with mental illness are often counseled to eat right, exercise, stay away from alcohol and illegal or addicting drugs, maintain a regular schedule, get enough sleep on a regular schedule, and do all the other "good" things anyone should do to stay healthy.  But, wouldn't it get old knowing that you have to always do these things or risk outing yourself as a crazy person?

Before someone comments on how I just used the word crazy to refer to mental illness, I will clarify.  First, the word crazy is used by society quite often to describe mentally ill people, so it has become pretty much the vernacular language.  Secondly, to behave crazily means to act erratically or without reason.  Anyone can act crazy, regardless of their mental health status.  Too often, people do not separate the behavior from the person.  As a teacher, I know this is an easy mistake to make, especially when the behavior is crazy.

To end this eclectic composition of various mental health ideas, I just want to give this basic message. Please be kind one another.  I don't know what the person next to me is going through anymore than you know.  It is impossible to tell why someone acts the way they do.  And it is unfair to assume that just because someone appears "normal" that they are not working their tails off to maintain that appearance. Always be cautious about assuming, because we all know what happens when you assume (it makes an ass out of you and, well, really that's it, just you).  In the end, it goes back to the very thing our parents taught us a youngsters - if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.