Accept those with mental illness
To the editor:
I’ve mused politely a number of times throughout the years, but what would it look like for someone to live effectively with a schizophrenic mind? Think of the constant bother of things unseen to everyone else.
How would we deal with it?
Unbeknownst to me, I mused often because I have a schizophrenic mind. What most people labeled as overactive imagination most my life was actually my brain out of tune. I face barriers that keep me from functioning “normally” in society. It has caused me homelessness, ending of relationships and being destitute and unable to work. I barely survived, but I survived.
It’s true, for most, a conversation with someone who is labeled as mentally ill can be difficult and awkward. Why? What is inherently different? We have dreams and aspirations just as anyone else. We may not always be able to process information as expected, but we still work very hard to focus on keeping everything in perspective for the sake of our long-term sanity.
Please, don’t look down on anyone with mental illness, they are like everyone else but with other challenges. Don’t close the world out just because of some emotional pain. Pain is temporary.
The bottom line is that disabled people in this country are much too exiled. We need community, too. Just because our bodies or brains work differently doesn’t mean we’re less than human. Treat someone like a human today, the way we would like to be treated. Spread some positivity today.
Aaron Parks
Caribou
