No! You are not mad! No! You don’t need to be admitted to a Mental hospital if you’re diagnosed with an illness. No! You are not “different”! No! You don’t have to hide it or be ashamed!
You are not weak because you are diagnosed with mental illness. Mental Health Professionals and advocates have strained their voices trying to educate people of one simple live-saving fact “VULNERABILITY IS A STRENGTH”. Speaking about your struggles to anyone, a friend, a stranger, a family member or a professional, gives you more power over them. It empowers you to accept your flaws and not be affected by the opinions of others. You develop a sense of self love which gives you more strength – a “shield”, if you would, to bear everything that’s happening around you. On the contrary our notion that people who don’t ask for help are strong is so “WRONG”. We don’t know what struggles they may be facing. Keeping feelings bottled up works like a termite, making you hollow, breaking you on the inside making you “WEAK”.
For instance, god forbid if you have cancer. Would you not get it treated just because people around you are making fun of you having lost hair? No! You HAVE to get it treated else it’s going to kill you. It’s the same with a mental illness. You have to live with the mess inside your head. You have to suffer. You have to bear the consequences that come along with not healing the deep wounds on your mind and soul. Sometimes these wounds may even be fatal. It is important to seek help.
Another misconception is that professional help is only for the diagnosed. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Anyone who needs help clearing the clutter in their minds can seek help. No matter how silly your issues seem to you. A professional will never judge you. Will always care for you. Overtime you develop a bond with them that would probably be stronger than that with some of your friends. And yes, not everyone will give you tablets to pop! You can “choose” the kind of treatment you want. Be it art therapy, sound therapy, psychotherapy or a mixture of these and so many others. Professionals make sure that you are comfortable.
The internet is “NOT” your friend in matters like these. Trust me I’ve been there. There’s so much information available and coupled with the state of mind we’re in at the moment we don’t tend to respond very well to the information provided. It makes matters worse. A personal touch, human intuition is tremendously important when dealing with such sensitive topics. Most of our traits, struggles, and fears today are a direct result of our childhood experiences, both good and bad. The most common example of this would be Deprivation of love in childhood may lead to overeating. Professionals help you reach the roots of all these problems and heal.
Don’t be afraid to reach out. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness! You have the right to internal peace! There’s a lot of professionals out there who can help you. If you’re still confused you could reach out to us. We’re a group of students who care! We will be there for you when you’re confused and exploring or even just trying to understand the process. We’ll guide you to the right source. When you need help or even just information, we’ll be here for you. Our sole aim is to normalize Mental Health and Therapy in society. No judgment. No shaming. Only support.