I feel like I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, bringing up over and over again the topic of “how we talk about mental illness” and why it matters. But let’s be honest: a record with a scratch isn’t actually broken, it just has a scratch that affects how it plays. If you go over…
This question of “Is a diagnosis important?” may seem a bit strange. Some people might say, “Of course!” while others might have more reservations, like “Well, how old is the individual? What are we talking about exactly?” I’ve been thinking lately about these related topics: diagnoses, labels, stigmas. I’ve been reading a lot of books about…
A lot of times there is a (spoken and unspoken) stigma that those who fight mental health problems are somehow weak or not as capable as those who are mental illness-free. It’s almost as if those who perpetuate this stigma think anyone foolish enough to succumb to a mental illness must not be smart enough, resilient enough, or…
Being open about a mental illness is definitely one of those “spectrum cases.” By this, I mean it’s not an either/or scenario. You aren’t either open or shut off about your mental illness. There are degrees.
Just in case you weren’t aware, this is Mental Illness Awareness Week. And just in case you are unfamiliar with me, I’m all about mental illness awareness. I have this “crazy” idea that the more open we are about our mental health and illnesses, the more other people will be helped. What other people?