May: Mental Health Awareness

April was Autism Awareness Month which is very near and dear to my heart, our son has Autism...so spreading awareness is very important to me. Although April is over doesn't mean spreading Autism Awareness stops! For a parent who has a child with Autism, we ALWAYS spread awareness and educate others any chance we get.

Now May is upon us and that brings National Mental Health Awareness Month which is also very important to me. I think the only thing harder than having a child with Autism is me having Bipolar Disorder. I honestly wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I would however love it if some could live a day or two, maybe a week in our (those like me) shoes and see how hard it is living with a mental illness. Especially those who keep the stigma going. I've been told by some of those closest to me to get over it, that I'm crazy, that it's all in my head and I haven't had the best support system. Having a mental illness and very little support makes things extremely difficult, but I keep on keepin' on and thank God for those who do have my back.

I can remember being a child and getting so angry, screaming, throwing things and well....raging. Not understanding why I acted that way. Wishing I could make it stop, but didn't know how. It was hard then and it's hard now to explain something that's going on in my head that I don't even understand myself. Having a mental illness is very isolating, lonely, confusing, hard, tiresome, frustrating, worrisome, dark and depressing.

I never know what the day will hold when I wake up. Yeah, I know...even someone without a mental illness doesn't know what the day holds. But, it's a bit different for me. Will I be manic and giggling about every thing and feeling like I'm on top of the world? Will I be full of nearly impossible ideas, bouncing from one room to another? Will I wake up and cry about every little thing and confuse those around me as to why I'm even crying? Leave myself confused as to why I'm crying? Crying and praying that God will just make it stop.

It's hard. Plain and simple.
Growing up I always battled depression due to the death of my father and other circumstances, along with anxiety. But it wasn't until 2008 that I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. The diagnosis honestly wasn't a surprise to me, I had suspected for quite some time. At first I was afraid to tell people because I didn't want to be labeled, you know...as crazy. I finally came to the realization that people would judge you and label you regardless, so you might as well be honest about your illness. And who knows....me sharing may help someone else, help them realize they aren't alone. If I've helped or brought comfort to even just one person out there, all the suffering I have felt and will continue to feel throughout my years is worth it. I wanted to show my support and show that I wasn't ashamed of having a mental illness.

The green ribbon stands for Mental Health Awareness. So anytime someone says, "what's the green ribbon mean?" I have the opportunity to educate them on mental health.

I think for most of us who have been diagnosed, we face the challenge of being labeled. We do not like being referred to as crazy, insane or psycho. While there are some who refuse to take medication or suddenly stop taking their medication, not all of us are like that (and yes, there are some cases that can get by without meds). A lot of us want help, we want to be understood and we want to be accepted for who we are. Bipolar Disorder doesn't define us but it is a part of who we are. It's an illness just like any other illness, although some don't acknowledge it's an illness. Unfortunately, there are some who don't believe in it. Those people make it harder for us, but I try to ignore them. I've found that people are scared of what they don't know about. So again, I help educate others. There is a lot that doctors do not know about Bipolar Disorder, most do believe it is genetic. I feel comfortable in speaking for everyone who has any type of mental illness, we just want to break the stigma. We must help educate others on mental illnesses just like we educate others on Autism, Cancer etc...

And please, stop saying things like "I'm having a Bipolar day," I can assure you, that's not a day you want to have. If you wouldn't walk around saying "Man....I'm having a Cancer day" or "man, I feel so Autistic today", then you certainly shouldn't walk around saying you're having a Bipolar day. Period. People like that and comments like that keep the stigma going. The stigma people like me are trying to END.


*Mental Illness affects 1 in 4 or nearly 60 million Americans every year.
*More than 10 million Americans have Bipolar Disorder. Because of it's irregular patterns Bipolar Disorder is often hard to diagnose.
*When one parent has Bipolar Disorder, the risk that his or her child will have Bipolar Disorder is 15% to 30%
*Since doctors do not know an exact cause of Bipolar Disorder, most people will go as long as 10 years before being diagnosed.
*Hundreds of research studies have been done on the brain and the brain’s neurochemistry, not a single one has implicated a single source or cause of any mental disorder. In other words, it’s far more complicated than you know.
*A common myth about people with a mental illness, that they are more violent than the general population. False. The vast majority of people who commit crimes do not suffer from a mental illness.
*Depression is characterized by sustained sadness and loss of interest along with psychological, behavioral and physical symptoms. It is ranked as the leading cause of disability worldwide.
* Stigma about mental disorders and discrimination against patients and families prevent people from seeking mental health care.
* The link between mental illness and violence are promoted by the entertainment and news media. Look at tv shows/movies, some characters are portrayed as having a mental illness and are depicted as dangerous. This gives society the impression that if you have a mental illness you are dangerous, violent and more prone to murdering.
Here is a Mental Illness Fact Sheet

I could write for hours about myths and facts about mental illnesses. Some advice to you all...avoid labeling people with mental illnesses. Learn the facts about mental health and help spread the word, do some research. Treat people with a mental illness with respect, just as you would any other person. Do not discriminate against people with a mental illness. We have feelings just like you.

If you know someone who has any type of mental illness, I won't lie to you, it's going to be hard. But the greatest thing you can do for someone is be there for them. We need a SUPPORT SYSTEM not to be, well...disowned.  If you don't know how to be there for them, RESEARCH. Get online and find a support group. Battling a mental illness is very hard, but it's even harder when you are doing it on your own.

For more on Mental Illnesses click here. Thank you for taking the time to read this. It's very important that we educate the public on all illnesses any chance we get. So please read and share with others!