Mental health.

[rogueslayer452]

Taken from the Crunchy Questions Meme:

Is there a social issue that you wished got more attention and awareness than it currently does?

Mental health is something I feel is something that needs more attention to understanding and being educated on. Sure, there has been a spotlight on depression and anxiety in recent years which has led to a better conversation than in the past, but one could argue that these subjects are more or less commercialized and sensationalized than destigmatized in our society. Never mind that there's a lot of other mental illnesses out there, some lesser known than others, that are still incredibly stigmatized in our culture that many are unaware and uneducated on, and it's quite heartbreaking how damaging it is to see the lack of actual discussion there is, let alone people not believing these are real things or even being afraid of them when they're not so-called "attractive" or "acceptable" as what the media portrays them to be. For example, while there's been some good depictions of mental illness in fiction, the fact that we still use psychiatric hospitals in horror genre settings and misrepresent certain mental disorders as "scary" and "othering" is unfortunately really telling. So there needs to be better attempts on stripping away the misconceptions and spreading of misinformation and overall ignorance and discrimination that is sadly connected to mental health and mental illness in general.

Just better education on mental health as a whole, because everyone's mental health is important and should be respected and taken seriously.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_profiterole_/]

Well said!

[tabaqui]

All of this! Totally agree.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

So first, I mention stigmas about personality disorders, including harmful language (included ONLY for context), so for anyone reading this who is sensitive to that, read cautiously - or not at all.

You're definitely right.

One thing I'm noticing is that people are becoming more aware that these disorders exist, but they're labeling them as character faults. So "oh, my mother almost definitely has Borderline Personality Disorder. She's a bitch. BPD people aren't to be fucked with." While I don't want to at all erase or diminish someone's trauma , people with BPD exist outside of a particular narrative. I think you need to discuss dealing with a person's toxic behavior without stigmatizing everyone who has an issue. Especially as empathy can help someone with a serious mental health problem seek treatment, which may prevent them from going any dark places that lead to destructive behavior (including being verbally and even physically abusive to loved ones). Also, why is it so surprising that two people with the same disorder (or disability, what have you) might exhibit very different traits? We catch colds all the time, yet every cold we catch is a little different. The last cold I had felt more like a pseudo flu. Usually my colds are just annoying, this one was downright debilitating. Sometimes I get colds that are basically just the sniffles. Because everything is different from case to case.

Actually, I highly suspect someone formerly in my life was dealing with serious mental health issues. But (a) that doesn't wholly absolve them of their behavior, and (b) that makes me hope they got help. I very much doubt they did, unfortunately.

The media also gives a very false narrative for some disorders, which absolutely affects how individuals with them are treated. Schizophrenia being one of them - the way we talk and think about schizophrenia is terrible.

As far as anxiety goes, think people assume it's just worrying all the time. That's a huge part of it, but it's what the worrying can manifest AS. We can get impatient, we can sleep poorly, we can feel sad and tired. Also, just doing yoga doesn't work for everyone. If you feel empowered by yoga, then do yoga. Really! However, it doesn't work for everyone. Nor does meditation. Meditation can actually make me feel more anxious.

[haebin.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you.
♥

[sixphanel.livejournal.com]

I couldn't have said it better! <3

[awakenyourfaith.livejournal.com]

I agree wholeheartedly!

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

Thanks for saying this!

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

One thing I'm noticing is that people are becoming more aware that these disorders exist, but they're labeling them as character faults.

Yeah, which can be quite dangerous. Case in point, aside from the example you gave, think about people who commit heinous criminal acts and people are quick to jump to the "they were mentally unwell" as a way of explaining away the reasons why they did what they did, rather than the fact that they're just an asshole with an ulterior agenda. Whether or not they do have a disorder and if it correlates with their actions, the issue stems from the assumption that anyone who has a psychological disorder may potentially be dangerous, which is a harmful generalization and reinforces that stigma. So yeah, acting like a mental illness is a personality trait is definitely something we need to avoid.

(And this goes for people who self-diagnose themselves, too, or those who use their mental illness as a way of justifying their behaviors, especially online. I've seen so many people use the whole, "well I have depression so you can't blame me for [insert whatever insensitive thing here]" or even try to act like because they have a disorder nobody can criticize or judge them because that is somehow ableist. Just because you have a disorder doesn't excuse you from your behavior.)

Also, why is it so surprising that two people with the same disorder (or disability, what have you) might exhibit very different traits?

Exactly. This is something that truly boggles my mind, because not everyone is going to fit into that little box of what a specific disorder is supposed to be. And there's a lot of misunderstanding and lack of compassion towards those who don't act the way they expect them to. There needs to be a better understanding that mental illness is not always the same for everyone who suffers from the same thing, and that the media oftentimes romanticizes certain disorders; depression looks different depending on the individual, anxiety looks different depending on the individual. Furthermore, it's not always pretty. People are going to react differently, behave differently. Some will lash out, some will be irrational, and people need to research and educate themselves on this because the way media often depicts certain disorders isn't always the way reality works.

Schizophrenia being one of them - the way we talk and think about schizophrenia is terrible.

Yeah, schizophrenia is still incredibly stigmatized and it's honestly so heartbreaking. And annoying.

Another thing I want to point out is that we need more discussions surrounding how to treat these disorders, because not all medications work and it's often a touch and go for many people. There's only so much that therapy and certain prescribed medications can do, and sometimes some people find their solution of treating their disorders quickly while others it takes longer, years, or the rest of their life to find that balance. And there's also the issue of all of this costing money, which some cannot afford. Alongside the judgments of others who still think that medication is just "happy pills" that make you a zombie, or that you only need on type of medication for a short period of time and then you're "cured".

So yeah, there's a lot of factors to consider in regards to mental health/mental illness in general. It's not talked about enough, even those who advocate for mental health they only focus on the more popular kinds instead of focusing on the larger picture.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

whether or not they do have a disorder and if it correlates with their actions, the issue stems from the assumption that anyone who has a psychological disorder may potentially be dangerous, which is a harmful generalization and reinforces that stigma.

Oh, another very good point!

the whole, "well I have depression so you can't blame me for [insert whatever insensitive thing here]"

Yup. Or even if they don't ask for that to be excused, you may find yourself excusing them for it. I sure have. I've learned though, especially with depression. Even if you ARE triggered into bad behavior, you can later (and not a moment too soon) own up to it and apologize.

It does get a bit complicated, and I do think there is something to be said for understanding everyone has their limits and a need for leniency here and there. If I'm anxious, I need people to let me be anxious until I'm at a place where I can calm down. Still, at some point, problematic behavior is problematic behavior.

And there's also the issue of all of this costing money, which some cannot afford.

Creating a very tragic cycle, in many cases, where people struggle to find/maintain jobs because their mental health issues won't allow them to do so, yet they can't get help because they don't have money.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Even if you ARE triggered into bad behavior, you can later (and not a moment too soon) own up to it and apologize.

Precisely.

There needs to be an understanding that different things can trigger people differently, and we all need a way of dealing with it and addressing it without there being fear one way or another. But as a whole, yeah, bad behavior is still bad behavior and those who weaponize their condition in order to escape taking any responsibility for their actions is still incredibly bad, and it makes it harder for people to know what to do when someone is having an episode related to their condition or not. Does that make sense?

Creating a very tragic cycle, in many cases, where people struggle to find/maintain jobs because their mental health issues won't allow them to do so, yet they can't get help because they don't have money.

Yeah. :/

[4kennedy.livejournal.com]

I agree 100% with you <3