Mental Illness: It’s All In Your Head?

Friends, family, acquaintances, medical professionals included refuse to acknowledge the existence of mental illnesses. It some times creates self-doubt. One, at least I, just cannot respond with an ‘Hmm…’ or reply with the longish details to prove them wrong. What does one do then?

How often have you heard?

“It’s all in your head”

“These medications are harmful and addictive and good for nothing.”

Has a medical practitioner ever said these words to you? I have heard them at least a couple of dozen times. What do you say to a medical practitioner who you believe would know better than you? Off late I have started giving a rather cut and dry reply – “I know what the medication can and cannot do. They have helped me stay sane for years. So if your treatment could work around the fact that I am on medication let’s do it.”
I sometimes wonder what makes these qualifies professionals make comments on other kinds of treatments. Can I tell you how many people have told me YOUR treatment is good for nothing? Everyone believes their own dose of medication

“You need to relax.”

I want to.

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“You are stronger that you think”

So if I punch you right now will it hurt you?

“Everyone had difficulties is life, we all face it.”

Ok, so why isn’t everyone on medication? Do you think we should run a campaign on how everyone is depressed and needs medical help?

“God did not create depression it is man-made.”

So is traffic on the roads. God didn’t create traffic on the road, so why is the frustration and fatigue caused due to driving back from work due to traffic considered normal?

Primal beings did not have the depression. While there is no proof of this, even if we were to believe it their needs were different, so were their ways and means for meeting the needs.

I partly believe mental illnesses are a 1st world phenomenon, just like cancer and aids. The people who suffer are not making up stories. So if you know someone who suffers from a mental illness please be there for them, just like you would be there for someone with accepted serious illnesses.
Mental illness deserves acceptance, acknowledgement, love and support.

If this makes any sense, call someone you know who suffers from a mental illness TODAY and let them know you love them.

It’s all in their head remember. You call will help serotonin secretion and you would have made their day less listless, given the drugs some help and made them want to work a little harder at the listlessness.

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