Kelli Korn, Counseling for Children, Teens, & Families, LLC

This piece was written by one of our teens clients and is a powerful look on how mental illness affects those around us. Such a powerful piece that we are so privileged to share!

Discussing Injury

      Anxiety. Schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder. Depression. Chances are some people in this room know someone that has one of these many mental illnesses. However, no one seems to talk about them. But what good does that do? Mental illnesses have always been in the category of “don't talk about these or you'll make every situation ever awkward”; they will forever be in this category if we don't make a change soon.

      There is a man with one of these mental illnesses. This nameless man has major depressive disorder. He has had depression for the past twenty years. He thought he could deal with it and not tell anyone; he thought he could get better all on his own. This man didn’t tell anyone about his condition, not even his family. Do you want to know why? He didn’t want to make anyone feel awkward. He didn’t want people to treat him differently or change their behavior around him. It’s not like someone can sign his head or bake him a casserole to make him feel better. It’s not like he can get better in a week or a month. He doesn’t have an injury that can be healed with a couple visits to the doctor’s office. His illness stays with him forever, even if he is able to feel better.

      The amount of people that have a mental illness in the United States is unspeakable. About 1 in 4 adults over the age of 18 suffer from a diagnosed mental disorder. About 21 million adults suffer from a mood disorder including: depression, bipolar disorder, and dysthymic disorder. 2.4 million adults struggle with schizophrenia. 40 million people over the age of 18 have some sort of anxiety disorder. About 2 million adults deal with obsessive compulsive disorder. There’s even 7.7 million people walking outside dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. There are so many people walking their dogs, going to work, and having family dinners that can’t even tell people about their condition because they don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. This doesn’t even count the number of teens and children that deal with the stress of keeping their feelings and conditions inside because they don’t want to be looked at differently by their friends. These can be people who you go to school with, who go to work with your parents, these people can be anyone.

      Having a mental disorder doesn’t define these people either. The chemicals in their brains are just a little different than someone who doesn’t have a mental disorder. Mental disorders are like the little devil on your shoulder, and instead of having an angel on the other shoulder, you have two devils. But why is it so hard to talk about them and so easy to sign a cast for a broken arm or make meals for someone who is sick? Getting injured or even having cancer is so much easier to discuss because there is a chance to get better. Yet, there is always a chance to get better with a mental disorder.

      When people try to shove mental disorders under the rug, they are not taking the opportunity to learn more about the people around them. Being ignorant about these subjects isn’t helping anything. People should be more aware about how other people are feeling on a day-to-day basis. Even if you don’t know that person or don’t know if they have a mental disorder, just asking them how their day went can go a long way. It might not heal them, but it can replace the cloud over their head with sunshine. When they don’t discuss their mental illness with anyone, they don’t get the proper help they need. Having a support system full of friends and family can change someone with a mental disorder dramatically as well. Being able to talk to people about how they are feeling and about the kind of help they urge for can be just the thing they need. People with a mental illness won’t be able to get rid of the disorder but being there for someone with a mental illness can help them get one step closer to feeling on top of the world.

      The nameless man finally decided to tell the people around him. He had been in a situation where he was more depressed than he had ever been; he was at such a low point in his life. This man decided to tell his family. He opened up to them, which is something he had never been able to do before. His family was able to give him the overdue help he had needed. His family didn’t think twice about the man they knew for years. They didn’t think it was awkward or uncomfortable to talk about. This nameless man was finally a little happier than he had ever been in the past couple of years. Until he hit the next lowest point in his life. His family was still there for him, even when he didn’t think they were. He had an amazing support system that was there for him through all of the rocky and bumpy roads. Since he got the support from his family, he started his road to recovery. He is able to see the sun everyday. He thought his depression defined him, but it didn’t. There is so much more to him than anyone ever thinks. Now, when he tells people about his depression, people don’t feel uncomfortable or see the word “depression” plastered to his forehead; they see a kind, loving man who wants the best for the people around him. He was able to tell people about his story because of the support he got from his family and friends.This man can be anyone that you see outside, anyone’s parent, anyone’s teacher. This man, this nameless man, is my dad.

Bibliography

Dr. Prentiss Price-Evans. “Major Depressive Disorder.” All About Depression. All About

Self Help, LLC, 2013. Web. 22 January 2016.

National Institute of Mental Health. “Major Depression Among Adults.” National Institutes of

Health. National Institute of Mental Health. Web. 21 January 2016.

The Kim Foundation. “Mental Disorders in America.” The Kim Foundation. The Kim

Foundation, 2006 - 2014. Web. 21 January 2016.