How frightening is this, that one bad diagnosis on a mentally unhealthy and possibly unstable day can lead you to deal with a medical diagnosis you can never get rid of or the stigma attached to it? The “mark of inadequacy label, sticks forever.” How frightening is it for me who is going into the undergraduate psychology program at Stanislaus State to think of being in a capacity to wrongfully label someone something that they are forced to live with the rest of their life. Kind of makes me happy I’m not trying to be a Psychiatrist where I’m forced to deal with the abnormalities of mental health and labeling them.
My girlfriend suffers from depression, anxiety, and OCD. I wouldn’t know if it wasn’t because she has decided to become open about her situation with hopes to bring awareness to mental illness and suicide prevention. The other day her facebook post read the following:
“Journal entry: 11-29-17.
“I woke up late this morning because I was up all-night crying. I don’t know why. I was just sad and scared that this is my new normal. Sitting in church today all I could do was sob. The really ugly sob that discontorts your face. I probably sounded like I was snorting because I was trying so hard (but failing) to hold back the tears. I’m suffering, I’m drowning. But nobody knows. Nobody can see the pain because I wear a mask. But I was reminded today, through a sermon, that it’s okay to not be okay. And although I want to give up, I want to run and hide, I want to wear my mask, I won’t. I’ll take it off and let people know I’m not okay. And I’ll let them know that I’ll never judge them when they aren’t okay. – May is mental health awareness month. I wrote these words during my darkest season with a sliver of hope that someday they would bring light. If you are struggling through ANY form of mental illness, there is hope! It’s okay to not be okay, just don’t give up! Reach out and ask for help!”
After I read this, I was in tears. It is true that there are many people suffering from mental health issues but because of the stigmas attached to these, they don’t want to come forward. Many choose to suffer alone because as we have seen they become labeled by an abnormal psychological mental illness that carries with them forever and they don’t want that for themselves. I am very happy that my girlfriend is not afraid and is an advocate for others suffering as well.
It is obvious something has to be done. The research is out there. We see what is happening between sane and insane people and the overlap in between them. As Rosenhan said, we can all agree that if we were diagnosed with cancer and it was a misdiagnosis we would be celebrating. There should be no reason one cannot be cured from their mental illness as well.
Monika's Blog 