Next week is Mental Illness Awareness Week. I mention this as I have suffered with mental illness and I hope that in my suffering I can help those who also suffer. Now that I am in "remission," what have I learned?
1. Don't judge someone with mental illness. You have no right if you have never been there.
2. Everyone is different. What works with one person may not work with another.
3. Mental illness is not a moral failure. It has been proven to be genetic and environmental.
4. People don't choose to be mentally ill.
5. Mental illness does not discriminate. It goes across all races, cultures, and socioeconomic factors.
6. It is ok to take medication and/or seek help from secular sources.
7. There is no cure.
8. It is hell on earth.
9. It is not an excuse, a personality flaw, or a crime.
10. People with mental illness need help, not jail.
For those who suffer:
1. Get help!
2. It's ok to ask for help. We are not an island.
3. If there are people in your life who judge you, don't listen. They don't know what they are talking about.
4. God understands.
5. God loves you!
6. You are not a failure!
7. It will get better!
8. Don't give up. Your life matters. You have a story to tell.
9. Do what works for you.
10. Do one thing at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow or dwell in the past. Focus on today.
National Alliance on Mental Health
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