Today is #worldmentalhealthday pups. I have a mental illness, and I’m not afraid to talk about it. I’ve been told I should be though. I have been told to “keep quiet” so I don’t let anyone know I have a mental illness. Because they may think I’m “unstable” or “dangerous” which, I’m not. There is a terrifying stigma that comes with having a mental illness that seems to just sit in everyone’s brain. These preconceived notions about someone’s personality, work ethic, intelligence even, purely because of an illness which they CANNOT control.

Just because someone has ptsd, doesn’t make them more likely to “fly off the handle” or have a breakdown, than that accomplished lawyer over there who works 80+ hours a week.

Just because someone has depression, doesn’t mean they can’t have moments where they enjoy their life. They can, and do have moments where they can hang out and laugh with friends over a pint or two.

Just because someone has bipolar disorder, does not mean they are going to be violent or that they don’t care about anything, violence is not something that person believes in and they love you too much to actively hurt you.

When you attach a stigma to a mental illness, you’re attaching it to everyone you know whom lives with that illness. We are all individuals and our illnesses manifest themselves to each of us, DIFFERENTLY. you can’t look at someone and see a mental illness, so why is it that when we talk about having one, or even several, that all of a sudden, you no longer see us? You only see our diagnosis.

When someone has cancer, you don’t just see the cancer..you see them as a whole person. When someone has a broken leg, you don’t just see the broken leg, so why can’t you do the same for mental illnesses?

If you have a mental illness, please know…you are not broken. You are loved very much, you are capable and amazing. If you need to seek help, please do. It doesn’t make you weak, incapable, or any less of a person. Seeking the help you need, is the strongest thing you can do sometimes. You are your own person..there is no one size fits all answer that you can get, treatments for mental illnesses are vast, and varied. Just because it was right for you, doesn’t mean it will work for someone else.

Pills are not for everyone, neither is therapy. You have to find out what works best and is safest for you. Never forget, you are strong, capable and loved. Absolutely loved.