Is Mental Illness Nonsense?

Is Mental Illness Bulls**t?

I suppose it’s not hard to guess my views on the legitimacy of mental illness but to be perfectly honest, I feel pretty justified in believing that this is a real issue; not something made-up in one’s head. That having been said, there are those who disagree and feel that it’s illusory.

First of all, if you don’t have a mental illness it’s understandable that you may not fully comprehend what it is and why it can be such a big deal. Below is the Oxford English Dictionary’s say on the matter.

Oxford English DictionaryMental Illness: n. a condition which causes serious abnormality in a person's thinking or behaviour, esp. one requiring special care or treatment

But I mean if you’re not hearing voices you’re fine, get over it. Not quite. I get it, a lot of people with illnesses like depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, etc. don’t look any different from everyone. Unless someone is walking down the street muttering to themselves and looking haunted, then it can be hard to see the validity in someone saying they’ve got mental health problems. Kristen Weir of the American Phycology Association wrote quite correctly that, 

"Diagnosing mental illness isn't like diagnosing other chronic diseases. Heart disease is identified with the help of blood tests and electrocardiograms. Diabetes is diagnosed by measuring blood glucose levels. But classifying mental illness is a more subjective endeavor. No blood test exists for depression; no X-ray can identify a child at risk of developing bipolar disorder. At least, not yet."

Believe me, I’m as frustrated as anyone else that it can’t be identified via a simple brain scan or blood test but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t real; it just means that there is a very long road ahead in terms of studying and diagnosing these illnesses. Nobody has the right to make judgments on the well-being of others and how they should be handling their lives; least of all if you hold no degree or formal eduction on the matter, which few do. It's impossible to judge what goes on in someone else's mind without having a profound knowledge of who they are, and even then it's a risky call to make.

My therapist and I are the only people who get to make a judgment call on whether I have depression and anxiety or not, if I should be on medication, or how severe my condition is. I also happen to take in the opinions of those who know me REALLY well and everything that's going on in my world because, I never would have gotten help if my best friends hadn't called me on my abnormal behaviour and encouraged me to get help; but even then, the official diagnosis was between me and a health care professional (actually several). I cannot "get over it," it's a part of me and my life. I am trying my best to develop coping strategies and ways of living my life regardless, but nobody else can tell me that this thing that I did not ask for, and won't wish on my worst enemy, is all in my head.

All the same, there are people who "jump on the band wagon" or misuse mental illness terms or are (for lack of a better phrase) over-dramatic. I won't deny that people can and do play up the severity of their struggles and hardships for whatever reason, often attention, and that can be really irritating- without doubt. That doesn't mean that other people don't have entirely valid and undramatized challenges. It's important to be aware of your own ignorances (because we all, including myself, have them) and acknowledge that there are things out there that you may not understand. Nobody wants to have judgements made on them. It hurts. There's enough to worry about in each person's individual life.

If you feel like your friend may have a mental health issue and are concerned about their wellness, talk to him/her or a healthcare professional about it, don't make any snap judgements.