The only people who know what it's like to battle mental illness are people that actually have a mental illness. I don't struggle with mental illness, but I have been fortunate enough to learn so much through crisis work, somewhat from the training, but mostly from people I've interacted with. I feel lucky. Some of my co-workers at the helpline battled mental illness so I had a great group of peers to learn from. I received the professional training aspect, but more importantly I've had face-to-face, personal interaction with people who've had the patience to sit and talk openly and honestly with me about their experiences. The only way to break down the stigmatisms of mental illness is through doing just that: sitting and talking, interacting with each other, learning from each other, understanding each other.
Although I am very thankful for the experience and skills I learned as a crisis worker, I am not eager to return to that profession. I greatly appreciate the confidence I gained in myself to better help people in need. I feel that helping people is something I was born to do. Whether it's something as simple as helping an elderly person put groceries in the car or as intense as someone searching for a reason to live another day, it's so important that we all remember we are in this together. Of course we don't all go through the same struggle, but I think we all have something to offer one another. I offer you this: smile at someone today. It could change the world.
They don't make people Shaped boxes
-S D Westbrook
At one point in everyone's life they question their sanity. My sanity is constantly in question. I will never forget the day a doctor told me that I was crazy. To be fair he just confirmed my own suspicions. He also didn't say crazy. I was told I have a behavioral disorder defined as Bipolar, but I heard crazy. I've had warning signs for years but signs are usually forgotten shortly after they've been passed.
I've always thought of myself as an individual, but I didn't understand how much we all long for normality and acceptance until I was thrust outside of banality. I was just figuring out how to be an adult when I realized that my mental health was something I had to monitor. I could check the oil in my car, check the download speed of my internet connection, check my own temperature, check my bank account, and even check that my bills were paid. I was never taught how to check my mental health. Initially, I didn't think I was Bipolar, this disorder is portrayed as something totally different in the media than it appears in reality.
I've been asked what it is like to be Bipolar. I hate that question. It's like asking someone to explain the sound of their laughter. For me, Mania is the greatest high that no drug can give you, in my mind I am the Greatest ME that I can be, the Best Version. To others I'm