I really wish people we could end the stigma that's been associated with mental disorders. We face our own type of pain and I don't understand why people can't see that. Sometimes it's hard to do things that others can do, like being in large crowds or giving a speech or going to school at all. Sometimes one just lacks the motivation needed to do anything, not because they're lazy but because they just can't.

Just like they don't understand you, you don't understand them.
Why so surprised?

@neko wasn't sure what you meant by that but I can't agree more with @katxlove that there needs to be a more active effort to diminish stigma against mental health disorders.

increased awareness and attention to the problem can lead to more resources being dedicated to treating people with mental health disorders.

also, not being understood is a big part of the problem for people with mental health disorders. diminishing the stigma would alleviate some of their symptoms like low self-esteem or social isolation.

@katxlove or anyone reading this thread if you ever want to brainstorm ideas for raising awareness on mental health, feel free to email me dollars.firefly@gmail.com

maybe we can make a mission out of it

And because of this born all pedophiles and other mental disorders. We aren't aware that we, society, create them by little things like criticize them because they don't know how to do something,... All this little *sand grains* create a mountain, a volcano, and gets bigger each time we all laugh at them till they can't hold the pressure and they finish committing suicide or with mental disorders. So it's normal much of them want to blow up the world or humans. So each one of us is responsible of this and each one of us must or should help them.
"Because the world isn't as bad as you think"

>>3
Just a sarcasm on both sides.
Common herd-dwellers are sometimes insensitive and obnoxious, but more and more mental patients are using their mental health as excuses to do / not do something.
That's where the stigma comes from, actually.

Rather than raising awareness, wouldn't it be more productive to try hard and resolve the issue and show it to them so the people around you could ACTUALLY SEE that you're trying. Acknowledgments will naturally follow.

>>5
it sucks that some people might be making it harder for others, who are actually going through a mental health disorder, to get the help they need.

and I want to agree that, like with any physical illnesses, if the person is making an effort to get better- that should help the process of getting better.

Though the problem is you can't always notice their efforts. Mental disorders are subjective, you don't see what the person is struggling through. and like katxlove said, sometimes the motivation is just not there. It doesn't mean that the person doesn't want to get better- that actual lack of motivation is one of the symptoms.

By increasing awareness about the actual symptoms associated with a mental disorder, people may come to better understand what the person struggles with.

and just a quick thing- Criticisms from others like "you're not even trying to get better" often contributes to an increased rate of relapse in patients with schizophrenia and substance abuse disorder or a worsening of symptoms in other types of mental health disorders. so i wouldn't write off the importance of raising awareness.

efforts should be made on both fronts- to get better and to raise awareness (although the former depends on the person struggling with the health disorder and the latter is something I can help with)

>>6
So positive.. I'll say this from the negative perspective.
in the end, people actually don't care. If you're functional, that's all that matters, if you're defective then that's that. It's the temperament climate of the current world. Telling them to care when they actually don't is just wasting time.

That being said, people can still be moved by compassion and such. But they're not sensitive enough that they could tell with just one glance. A lot people with mental disorders have the mindset of 'they don't know what I'm going through' and hence, cutting them off from their inner space (communication problem), consciously or not. But the thing is, if you want to communicate what you're going through, you have to actually let them to at least some parts of your safe space. It's hard, and tiring, and they may even judge you still, but that's the most effective way.

Not everyone simply uses their mental illness as an excuse. I certainly don't. I have been working on improving myself so I won't always have to deal with what I deal with. But you know what? Sometimes I'm not always able to do something because of my mental illness. And instead of judging me, I'd prefer it if people understood that because of my anxiety, I can't always give a speech in front of the class or go out with friends. I try every day though and if I actually "use it as an excuse" it's because my anxiety is really bad that day, not because I just want to get out of something or I'm lazy.

And I'd love to brainstorm ideas to raise awareness. We should definitely make a mission out of this :)