Navigating A World That Is Not Built For You
Let’s Wake-Up About Mental Health Challenges So Many Of Us Face
We have all heard of mental illness- anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, the list goes on and on. But do you REALLY understand what it is like to navigate the world if you have one? While talking about mental illness is becoming more and common, there still is that whole “societal acceptance and I know you are not crazy” piece that needs work.
Take for example the Bell Let’s Talk initiative (for the Canadian readers out there). Since 2010, the initiative has done wonders for the mental health community, from donating over $100 million CAD over the last 10 years, to bringing awareness and understanding to mainstream society. The initiative has been brought to schools, universities (I even got a free toque- how Canadian is that eh?) and workplaces that have traditionally frowned upon any sort of “soft” talk- I see you corporate and industrial worlds.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 Canadians each year will experience a mental health problem or illness and by the age of 40, it is estimated that 50% of the population will have or have a had a mental illness. This is clearly a problem that is not going away anytime soon and is arguably becoming even more of an issue. Millennials (those who are 24–39 as of 2020) in particular are among the hardest hit generations, where depression rates and suicides are skyrocketing each year. While there are multiple factors as to why mental illness are on the rise in all generations, the fact is, is that this is a world-wide problem that is only going to get worse, especially if people ignore and don’t talk about it.
While all of this talk and awareness is starting to become (slightly) more common, there is still a long way to go. Traditional Canadian and American societies are not built for those who live with mental illnesses. Our cultural norms subconsciously dictate to us that having a mental illness is considered to be a weakness, and weakness doesn’t have a place in our Canadian and American societies.
It is expected that people work 60–100 hr weeks with very few breaks and no time for self-care. Yes, this is changing, but the feeling of guilt for being “unproductive” is still out there. It’s already exhausting for people WITHOUT mental illnesses, so can you imagine what it’s like to working like that WITH one? Well, I am here to tell you that I am one of those people who live like this every day.
To give you a tiny bit of background information, I am a 26-year-old university educated Canadian female, who has the unfortunate genetic luck of being born with anxiety, depression, and celiac disease (which remained undiagnosed until I was 14). To top it off I am hypersensitive, an INFJ, an introvert, and grew up in a slightly unstable household- every young person’s dream! I’m not saying that life was all bad, but growing up in a society that wasn’t built for me has been a challenge.
What a lot of people don’t realize is that anxiety and depression are multi-dimensional. While there are basic “symptoms”, the reactions and feelings vary from person to person. For example, I am what you would call “high functioning”. When people first meet me, they typically have no idea that I have mental illnesses. I appear “normal” and can hold a conversation. I’m quiet in new settings, but I typically don’t show any outward signs to indicate that I am different. This is because I have learned over the years how to master the art of hiding my mental illnesses, particularly anxiety.
Why is it so important to hide a mental illness you may ask? Because of the way you get treated by people, specifically those who don’t understand nor are empathetic. I have hundreds of examples where I was treated differently because of my mental illnesses, whether it be teachers, professors, friends, work colleagues, bosses, and random people.
In general, it is rarely socially acceptable to step away because people are starting to notice how anxious you are or having to almost run out of the room because a panic attack suddenly makes an appearance. You get judged almost instantly for such occurrences that are out of your control, which can lead to unwelcome labels and judgment from those around you. People suddenly think less of you and think you are not capable of doing anything with your life. You are labelled as dumb and can be seen as burden to society. You are too “weak” to be in the real world and would never be able to cope with the stressors of life. While that may be the case for some, but for a lot of us, it is not.
For most of my life I have tried to fit in with the social norms and constructs, which in the end, almost broke me. Being treated as “less than” for something I can’t control can be frustrating, but at the same time is strangely motivating. I beat the odds and graduated high school, and then smashed those odds when I graduated from university (with a major and two minors I may add). Some of the strongest, most empathetic people I know have mental illnesses, or know others who do. It has taken me YEARS, but I am at a point in my life where I have learned to accept, rather than fight this unique gift that I was born with. I am proud of who I am and where I came from and want to use my unique gifts to helps others and the world.
About The Author:
Taylor is a researcher, writer, anthropologist and Research Consultant HireWisdom.org. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
