If you read my last post then you may be getting worried about me. Don't fear I am no more mental than usual.
Yesterday I caught up with a good mate that I hadn't seen in some time. Over a tasty barramundi burger we got chatting and he surprised me with his openness.
He told me that work wasn't great and that he'd been suffering with his mental health. Despite this he'd seeked the help of a therapist and is committed to beating what his mind has thrown at him.
I wasn't overly surprised at what he told me. Not because I thought he was susceptible but due to the large number of friends I have with similar problems. However I was pleasantly surprised by how open he was being because that is what helps combat the stigma of mental illness in society.
Mental illness covers a variety of problems including anxiety, depression and bipolar to name but a few. Here today I'm generally speaking about anxiety and depression.
I have no doubt that we will all experience mental illness as individuals at some point in our lives. So why is their such a stigma associated with being open about our problems?
Speaking as a man it is deemed a weakness to be open about our feelings. It doesn't sit well as our modern society has a 1950s mentality about this topic. We (men) are living under an old fashioned mantle of "men are strong and don't cry". This is utter bullshit.
However it is not limited to men because women are often the breadwinners, the sole parent and the business leader. They now have to assume this mantle of alleged toughness because society demands it.
If you take a look at numerous financial institutions, law firms or large businesses you will find a senior manager/board member that has suffered a breakdown. Trying to maintain a false image of strength and power whilst leading others through times of extreme stress takes its toll. Those people are just the ones you hear about in the media, smaller businesses have just as many casualties if not more.
I admire my friend and anyone else that puts their hand up and says "I have a mental illness, so what?" Those people that can be open and treat the problem before it gets worse can work to reduce or remove it. Personally I am always keen to improve myself. Having a mental illness isn't bad, nor is it something to be ashamed of. We shouldn't have to worry about what others think of us. The best thing you can do for your own sanity is to talk about it, let people know how you feel. If friends don't want to know then get rid of them, they are not worth their salt. If your workplace won't accommodate you then find a new career, because they are all forcing you to be someone else and live in a state of unhappiness. It's about time we were open and honest with ourselves and those around us.
Before I leave I can tell you one thing and it's probably something you've experienced through someone you know.
The path of mental illness leads to a forced end of life. It could be by heart attack from years of stress or by your own hand from depression. Having experienced the results of suicide of family and friends and contemplated it myself I can tell you it's not worth it. There is more to life than bottling your problems and letting them ferment until you explode. There is always a better choice.
Just talk. Just write. Just ask for help.
Keep smiling,
Tom : )
