the stigma and just general ignorance is why many communities keep mental illness behind closed doors. personally, i have had convos with my mother that have made me wonder why i opened up at all. recently, she called me about something and i was in the middle of dressing my child for school. i was irritated and a bit aloof--i simply wasnt trying to have a convo with her at that time. she called my husband later that day and in the course of the discussion asked if i were on my meds. i was so irritated and it hurt for a few reasons. the one thing i realized is that i shouldnt be upset. she is not in HER right mind and i have done alot of work to pull myself out of the depths of ptsd, bipolar, mpd, depression hole.
i feel that the crux of why many of us feel sometimes stuck in our respective illnesses is because we struggle to regain the control that was taken from us. one of the main reasons why i share my story is because it gives me back a bit of that control that i lost so many years ago. if people want to judge me because of my illness, i just shrug my shoulders--most of the time
. i am not my illness nor am i my experiences.
it is so important to be an informed consumer. do as much research as you possibly can. it was so frustrating at the beginning stages, 10 yrs back when i was struggling to find out what was wrong with me and then to find the right cocktail of medication that brought some normalcy to my life. having a supportive husband and i good therapist was very key.