[Seek] To Take Off the Mask

Someone I know struggles with depression and anxiety on a daily basis. Those two things conspire against them in all they do in their life. Depression and anxiety make it difficult for them to leave the house, to answer the phone, to interact with others, even to do the things they love.

There's a person in my life who has attempted suicide more than once, and who has spent periods of their life thinking about suicide on a daily basis.

I also know someone who has practiced self-harm, at one point for years. For them, it was a way to cope with the pain, a way to have control, a release of some of what they kept pent up inside. It was affirmation of life.

One has struggled with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder their entire life - from counting Cheerios and ticking clocks to playing worst case scenarios over and over in their head in times of stress, including while driving.

There's someone who lives with all that comes with Dissociative Identity Disorder - the loss of time, control over actions and words, and the knowing that their fractured mind could still hold traumatic secrets.

And I know someone who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Their PTSD makes it difficult for them to go places alone. It intensifies their reaction to being hurt by someone they care about. It makes them paranoid that something bad is going to happen when things are going well and that things are never going to get better when they're going badly. At its worst, fear smothers them, making them unable to enjoy even the best parts of life.

We don't share the truth about mental illness nearly enough. It's not a part of a person someone can see just by looking at them. Mental illness lurks under the surface, invisibly informing the person's thoughts, actions, and ability to function in everyday situations.

Most people who experience mental illness put on a mask of wellness in front of others due to the stigma associated with it. It's time to take off our masks and end the stigma. One in four people experience mental health issues. We are not alone. We can support and encourage each other. We can have hope for better days. 

And those someones I wrote about above? They are all me.