Thoughts and experiences of life and mental health

Society's expectations Part M-11

Daily goal - Be open concerning emotions.

The first response I normally get when I discuss my emotional state, my history of self-mutilation or suicide attempts is "he only does so to seek attention."

This is the sad reality and misconception of mental illness; people tend to follow the stigma that mental illness is a form of attention-seeking.

The remark from a close friend about my repetitive self-mutilation set me on a downward spiral for about a month. After one comment by someone who is ignorant of mental health and uneducated, while not desiring to be educated, all my work to gain control of my emotions went out the window. I felt self-hatred, extreme depression, and anxiety all flare up.

Struggling with mental health is not a death sentence, nor is it to be frowned upon by society, we can live a normal, and fulfilled life with the correct treatment and support from our loved ones.

This picture of the perfect human is created by society, we have to wake up and go to work. Get married at a certain age and have children. Become successful in your work field. Go to bed, sleep at least 8 hours, and repeat. This picture is almost impossible for some of us due to our mental health struggles, yet with the correct treatment, life can be manageable.

I personally can't sleep 8 hours a day due to my continuous racing thoughts, I have never had a stable relationship due to my abandonment issues, and work for me after my suicide attempt is almost impossible. I refuse to have children because I refuse to have another human experience emotional trauma and life as I did.

This is only my story, yet most people who battle with their mental health are afraid to share their stories due to the stigma created by society.

What is normal? Normal to you might not be normal to me. For certain countries, the type of food they eat is normal to them, yet you would probably not eat their food because to you it's not normal. To certain religions a certain way of life is normal, yet to the next it's abnormal.

Stop with the stigma that someone who struggles with mental health is unstable, untrustworthy, weird, or that they can't live a normal life.