Before you start a riot over my title, let me explain. To me, and this is my opinion, there is a difference between talking about mental health like it’s normal, and normalizing mental illness. Stick with me, I’ll explain it in more detail.

I made a small remark in my last post, First Day Jitters, about normalizing anxiety. I am a firm believer that we need to eliminate the stigma around talking about mental health, but we can’t normalize mental illness. We can’t normalize any illness…well maybe a cold, or like the flu, but definetly not something like cancer or anxiety. What I mean, is that you shouldn’t be afraid to talk about your mental health, nor to seek treatment for your mental wellness. What we shouldn’t do is normalize mental illness. We shouldn’t make it seem as though it isn’t a big deal. Because believe me when I say, mental illness is an epidemic right now.

Now there is a fine line between offering advice and trivializing someone’s struggles. That is what I mean, by mental illness isn’t normal. It is a problem, that needs a solution. You wouldn’t go to someone and tell them that if they just exercised more, they wouldn’t have cancer…I mean I hope you wouldn’t, cus that would make you a jerk, and I don’t like jerks. Anyways, why is telling someone that they wouldn’t have anxiety attacks if they “fill in the blank” or they wouldn’t be depressed if they just got out of the house more. Don’t get me wrong, both anxiety and depression are completely natural human emotions. Like being nervous on your first day at a new job. Or being depressed after a loved one passes away. That is completely natural, which is why people normalize them. They think, “well I’ve been depressed/anxious and I got better, why can’t you?”

It is different for those of us with mental illness…WE ARE SICK, it is a disease, that inflicted us with no warning, no build up, no reasoning. And despite what some jackholes think, there is no cure for mental illness. There are treatments, that manage the symptoms, but we are sick, for life. I hate to say that, and I hope one day there’s just a shot for mental illness, and poof, you’re better. But that day is not today. Though, like all illnesses, things can improve, symptoms can be managed. It usually requires a combination of professional help, medication, diet, exercise, mindfulness, etc. So offering advice to someone with mental illness, “I’ve heard eating more green veggies improves mood” or something like that, rather than, “oh, you’re depressed? Why? Your life is great!”

I guess I could sum it up by saying, offer advice, not solutions. As with all things, everybody needs different treatment. What we could all use more of though, is unbiased support. So don’t go thinking that you can fix someone who has a mental illness, but be that person who is there when they need help. Just because you’ve been through something similar, doesn’t mean that it’s the same. Hopefully, I’ve now explained my choice in title, as it can easily be confused, but everything I write always has a deeper meaning. From my mind to yours, Alan Wolfgang, signing off.