Mental Illness and Santa Claus

For the past few days, I have stupidly engaged myself in a conversation about mental illness with a group of individuals who don't believe it exists. Favorite conversation so far: "There are very few mental illnesses I believe in." I thought this was 2010, but apparently we are still stuck in Nazi Germany and sending schizophrenics (if you believe in schizophrenia) to the gas chambers.

Grow up, world. Open your eyes.

It actually began as a conversation about the marketing of antidepressants. No doubt, they are as foolish as any other drugs ads on TV. Remember the ED ad (it was either for Viagra or Cialis)where the couple was in separate bathtubs holding hands on the beach? Come on. Who does that? How about tampon ads that show menstruating women doing yoga with their legs up over their heads? Stupid. Drugs designed to treat MI aren't much better. When I started taking meds for my Bipolar Disorder, I didn't take up ballroom dancing, either. It's called ADVERTISING. It's meant to be over-the-top and memorable. It may be wrong, but it is what it is.

I'm sure you've heard the notion that the most homophobic people are trying to hide the fact that they are gay deep down. That may or may not be true, but I'm starting to think the same applies to people who deny that mental illness exists. I wonder if they know something is wrong and they just don't have the internal fortitude to admit they might HAVE a mental illness.

But really, my money is on pure ignorance.

Over the past few days, I have heard many people say that mental illness is not real and that all symptoms of MI have a cause. We should be treating the cause. This could not be more true, as it applies to anything. If you have Type II Diabetes, you have to lay off the sugar and carbs. If you have clogged arteries, you have to lay off the cholesterol. Does that mean you reject medication or other treatment from your doctor? Of course not. That would be foolish, right? But that doesn't mean your sweet tooth hasn't caused your pancreas to malfunction. That doesn't mean your blocked arteries aren't taxing your heart. YOU STILL TREAT THOSE THINGS.

So if my brain's wiring is screwed up and somebody can help me... why wouldn't I want them to?!? If drinking is making your depression worse, you stop drinking. If ingesting fake sugars is blocking your serotonin, you back off of those, too. BUT YOU STILL TREAT THE BRAIN.

Mental illness deniers floor me. You really can't convince them of anything and if you suggest they might be wrong, they treat you like you're an uneducated bumpkin who just fell off the turnip truck yesterday. Some people can be enlightened but some people are destined to wallow in their own ignorance and suffer needlessly because they can't make peace with something inside of them.

I just hope their doctor decides to believe in the flu the next time they come down with it. Pin It