“Can’t you just get over it?”
“Try to think more positively.”
“Snap out of it!”
Whether it be the occasional bout of anxiety or a decade of battling depression, these phrases are not uncommonly heard throughout the lifetime of a person who lives with the daily trauma of mental illness. The certain stigmas that revolve around this illness are sometimes worse than the plight itself. As someone who has dealt with anxiety, depression and other similar complications since childhood, I can firmly attest nothing breaks my heart, or at times infuriates me, more than having my illness degraded and delegitimized. One would never presume to walk into a hospital room and tell a cancer patient if they had a better perspective on life or a more reasonable outlook, their cells would cease to produce abnormally. I have known plenty of cancer survivors who eat healthy diets, exercise regularly and are of great spiritual strength. On the other end of the spectrum, I know people who live at the drive-thru and smoke three packs a day with no risks to their health whatsoever. Whatever illness you might have, it chooses you, and it cannot be avoided, no matter how much Kumbaya you may sing in a day.
What strikes me as odd is mental illness is as much of a debilitating disease as cancer, diabetes or heart disease, yet it’s so often quietly swept under the rug, as if to have imbalanced chemicals in the brain is a shameful malady. I wonder at times if perhaps depression were contained in the stomach or the intestines, rather than the brain, if there would be a different sort of reaction. Mental illness can kill you, just as any of the other life-threatening illnesses I previously mentioned can. Positive thinking, meditation and other techniques can indeed benefit any person suffering from mental illness, just as chemotherapy and radiation can benefit a cancer patient, but it does not guarantee a cure. Remission, perhaps, but a full recovery is not promised. It’s why my mother, who battled endometrial cancer more than a decade ago, must still continue to have regular checkups as to ensure it’s not resurfaced. Additionally, simply because one method of treatment works for a single individual does not make it a universal antidote. This sort of mentality is one that further cripples and belittles those who have been designated carriers of this disease.
To those who struggle with mental illness, I am your advocate. I understand. I am proud you were brave enough to get out of bed this morning. Some days, you feel like you can take on the world, and other days it takes you three hours to decide you need to get in the shower. You are strong, even when you feel weak. I have found people with mental illness to be the most genuine, caring souls I’ve ever known. This disease will give you a perspective you cannot learn any other way.
To those who have loved ones who struggle with mental illness, educate yourselves. Take classes, read books, find resources. My mother has dedicated herself to learning about my illness, to preparing herself so she knows how to act when I feel a certain way. Because of her proactivity and her knowledge, she’s my safe place. She’s the person I long for when my heart aches.
Be a haven. Be aware. Above all, do not ignore. Take action. Support. Understand. These behaviors cannot cure a disease, but they can save a life.
Sehnert is a 2014 graduate of the College of St. Benedict with a degree in Political Science and Communications. She currently resides in Sartell. In her spare time, she enjoys nature walks, watching films, spontaneous explorations and being a supportive cat mom. If you liked this article, visit her website at cadysehnert92.wix.com/colour#!blog/yvzrq for weekly postings.
