What is one thing you wish people could understand about mental health?

I've been thinking about so much lately and I was curious to know your answers!

If there was ONE thing I would want to change about the way people perceived anxiety/depression/OCD/ADHD, it would be that we didn't choose this. We didn't do this to ourselves. We didn't actively CHOOSE to have our brains be wired this way, and it takes time and resources to heal our minds.

I didn't *choose* to have panic attacks by age 12. Yes, some of my decisions led up to depression, but I was 12. I was too young to have really done anything that terrible that would lead up to having mental issues for the next 11 years.

What about all of you? How would you describe depression or anxiety to someone who had never struggled with it before?

[Hidden]

I understand what you have said. One of the classes I take for university is called Community Mental Health. In this class, I have learned that mental health issues are not a choice. For example, from what I have learned, people who are suicidal often don't actually want to die; in fact, these people are seeking help and want others to know how they are feeling. What are your thoughts?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I absolutely agree! I think that death is too unexplained and too broad for any human being to truly want to die. A lot of times during my suicidal episodes, I just plain didn't want to exist at all. I didn't want to pass away, I just didn't want to be...alive? I guess that's a good way to describe my brain.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I can relate. When I have suicidal thoughts, I don't usually have a plan or intent, but I also feel terribly about the pain of life

[Blueruth]

You can live with it and you can achieve with it and you can be successful with it. It isn't the thing that needs to define you. Before ACA if you were ever in your life diagnosed with most mental illness you could not get insurance. Didn't matter how wealthy or successful you were. That attitude is still with us. There are lots of successful people who deal with mental illness in their life.

[Hidden in reply to Blueruth]

I truly needed to hear this! Thank you so much.

[Mrspjsmom]

I would say it's REAL and incredibly PAINFUL! Don't tell me it's all in my head, a character flaw or it can't be that bad.

[Hidden in reply to Mrspjsmom]

Absolutely! That is one of my biggest pet peeves. "It's all in your head!" Um YES that's why they call it mental illness.

And yes I agree totally. Just because we struggle with things doesn't mean we're flawed people or that we did something to "deserve" it. So many people forget that genetics/environmental factors can play a HUGE role in mental illness.

[Hidden]

they can't get rid of learning disabties . i been misteke a lot time when my learning disabties is 18-p and nobody heard of it . very rare . not even online . people that mistake me were, autism, dyslexics and ADHD and other learning disabties because of my grammar and English . I also has anxiety

[dogsandfishing]

I wish people close to me would realize that my depression wasn't caused by them. I've had people close to me take offense to it, as if my depression was a result of me not being able to appreciate the good things in my life.