As most of you probably know, I suffer from mental illness. I take medication for depression and anxiety. So, when I saw this post from Jenny, The Bloggess. I knew I needed to share it with you. Usually, I love The Bloggess for her hilarity. Today, I love her for her honesty, and her fight.
” When cancer sufferers fight, recover, and go into remission we laud their bravery. We call them survivors. Because they are.
When depression sufferers fight, recover and go into remission we seldom even know, simply because so many suffer in the dark…ashamed to admit something they see as a personal weakness…afraid that people will worry, and more afraid that they won’t. We find ourselves unable to do anything but cling to the couch and force ourselves to breathe.
When you come out of the grips of a depression there is an incredible relief, but not one you feel allowed to celebrate. Instead, the feeling of victory is replaced with anxiety that it will happen again, and with shame and vulnerability when you see how your illness affected your family, your work, everything left untouched while you struggled to survive. We come back to life thinner, paler, weaker…but as survivors. Survivors who don’t get pats on the back from coworkers who congratulate them on making it. Survivors who wake to more work than before because their friends and family are exhausted from helping them fight a battle they may not even understand.” Read More.
Please read Jenny’s post and think twice about brushing off someone who suffers from these diseases. They may not be readily identifiable, or easily seen but they are real. Many people suffer at the hands of these conditions everyday and we shouldn’t have to suffer in silence. Mental illness is not shameful.
{ 5 comments }
I love this post and off to read the whole on at its original location. This is something close to my heart. My husband suffers from depression and has worked so hard to get himself back in a good place and sadly has been stuggling recently. It is hard because most people don’t know a lot about depression or what they do know is wrong so it has been a tough road to be one as family and especially my hubby. Loved your post and thanks for sharing
Only my close relatives know about mine so I always hope I’m home when I get a crying jag
I’m right there with you. I always thought it was something to be ashamed of (back when I first started getting help for my anxiety & depression, my great-grandmother told me never to tell anyone because if word got out, it could keep me from becoming employed later in life). So, yeah. While that’s way over the top, there are still misconceptions out there causing people to hide their true selves. Thanks for sharing this, I think it’s something that needs to be shared.
Wow. No words. Just thanks for highlighting that.
Nice to read your blog