We Don’t Suffer from Mental Illness — We Live With It
Changing the perspective on how we view mental illness
Much like other illnesses, we tend to say that we suffer from the symptoms this illness manifests.
We are suffering when we experience unpleasant symptoms — our own body is revolting against us somehow.
I knew I had anxiety and depression for much of my life, but I hid it and masked the symptoms. I honestly didn’t believe that I had a mental illness. Instead, I thought it was all my fault that I was feeling this way.
If I could ‘snap out of it, my life would change. And now, three years later, I know that this is not true.
I gained a lot of insight into mental health after I graduated college with my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I wanted to get into the field of mental health and help those in need.
So I figured the best way to accomplish this goal was to work in a psychiatric hospital. And that’s what I did.
I worked in a psychiatric hospital as a mental health technician. I only worked in this position for a little over six months, but it has completely changed how I see mental health.
While working at the hospital, I saw many different patients with a wide array of mental health…
