Though I can relate to the issues and symptoms stated as mental illness, I wonder why it’s labelled as an illness. I find that this label encourages thought that there’s something wrong or lacking in that person rather than recognizing their personal journey. I believe that they are experiencing a disorder in their journey and they must explore it to find their person.
Though I can list many reasons for the dis-ease I’ve experienced, I choose to look back on my vulnerable moments as mental transitions. They were moments when I was weak and insecure, and I had to look inward to find strength. I found that as similar as situations can be, each experience is individual because perspective, memory and emotions always differ. As comforting as it was to hear someone say they had the same experience, their story was always different from mine.
In my experience, the moment of dis-ease felt unbearable but being patient with the process made me examine the big picture and identify what my journey was teaching. By persevering, I made strength out of a weakness and when dis-ease passed, I saw life through a new lens.
I’m not trying to speak for or override other perspectives on mental hardship, I just find the illness label to be negative. I believe that it’s a mental transition and everyone experiences it because it’s part of growth and change is inevitable in life.
When you experience hardship and feel a dis-ease, try to remember that the moment will pass and look within to find you. Take time to care for yourself inside and out. Embrace your growth and love yourself for what you’re being entrusted to endure because you’re special and worthy.
Astrid's Words 
The way I see it is that, if we want to change the stigma associated WITH mental illness, we need to care about it and speak freely about it as we do of physical illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol. It is an illness and should be treated and respected as such. It shouldn’t be something that people are afraid to discuss. I speak on my mental illness often and people are like “Why are you so transparent?” Because, to me, there is nothing to be ashamed off. It has a negative connotation to some but definitely not to me. I can tell people I have bipolar disorder as easily as I can tell them I have asthma. Unfortunately, even the medical field doesn’t treat mental illness with the respect that they should and I want to do something about that. I am writing this TWO days after being discharged from the hospital for my illness.
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Good point. Thank you 😊
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I agree with the proliferation of diagnoses and the label illness, which seems nothing more than a ploy for pharma profit and the mental healthcare industry. However, there are diagnoses which require therapy and medication because of the patient’s inability to adopt your wonderful and proven strategies. Even for these people your advice may possibly still be helpful. 🙂
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Thank you. This gives me hope that people will adopt simplistic ways to enjoy what they have and motivates me to continue sharing.🙂
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I agree with you, there is no power in the perspective of wrongness that the words illness brings. It takes away the opportunity of some simple attitudes that can give balance.
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I was bothered by the rise in mental illness issues and the descriptions I heard about it when I wrote this. I couldn’t keep a negative perspective.
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