The Bright Side of Mental Illness
It’s a light that shines because of the darkness
I don’t suffer from a mental illness, but I know many people that do. I’ve helplessly watched friends and family struggle with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, hoarding disorder; the list could go on.
I’ve lost people to suicide. I watched a close friend dismantle lives by systematically shutting loved ones out, including me, never to talk to them again. I’ve heard suicidal threats. I’ve seen the damaging effects hoarding has on the individual and the family. I’ve listened to schizophrenic visions and fears. I’ve seen individuals all but disappear, locked in the security of their room because they’re too afraid to socialize.
Unfortunately, we all know someone stuck in a fight.
We’re all afraid of the dark
There is no limit to what a mental illness will take. No threshold to how far it’ll force you to go. No end to the pit it pushes you into. The blackness feels all-consuming, leaving nothing but a shell.
Confusion, fear, anger, and weariness become default emotions. Dreams and goals are devoured as the illness fights for control.
