Be(lieve in) You(rself)

Once someone knows you live with a mental illness or brain disorder, that person may put you permanently under their microscope. It happens too often. You may therefore behave in a most rigid and conformist way that doesn’t fit your personality just to avoid making waves. This predicament is especially likely if you have displayed abnormal behavior during a mental health struggle. Even if your conduct is only mildly challenging to understand, out of fear and stigma, others may begin to look for the slightest hint that the behavior may recur and, in extreme cases, may write you off completely.

I believe that, as part of maintaining stable good mental health, we must consider other people’s feelings, just as we expect them to consider our diagnosis in a non-stigmatizing way. Putting others at ease can be a constructive goal in improving our mental health. At the same time, there are times when we struggle, and people should be educated about mental health in a way that helps them meet the challenge of dealing with someone in crisis.

At the same time, we should never forgo parts of our identity and personality traits that are harmless and that we hold dear just because we may fear being misunderstood. I have struggled with this compromise my whole life. How much of my true harmless self should I divulge before seeing people give that “look” that means they are writing off what I am saying as “crazy?” (By the way, “crazy” is not a politically correct word in the context of mental health.) My advice is to be yourself, your polite yet honest self. “Believe In Yourself” and “Be You!”

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