Why Mental Illness is Not a Weakness

One of the problems with the modern world is that images of perfection constantly surround us.

We see perfect people living perfect lives on billboards, TV, and the internet.

This is unsurprising because so many of these images are advertising.

Companies try to sell us things based on the promise that this product or service will help us achieve a perfect life.

A certain cream will give you perfect skin, this destination will provide the perfect family holiday, and a new kitchen will complete your perfect home life.

We all know that real life is not like that.

But when a message bombards you constantly, it inevitably has an impact, no matter how ludicrous it initially seems.

We have built a world deliberately designed to make us feel inadequate.

The problem is that perfection is usually quite dull.

Take a simple thing, like choosing a piece of wood for the top of a table.

The obvious choice may be the perfectly smooth, even, regular piece.

This will make a perfectly functional table.

But many of us prefer the piece that is a bit uneven in places, maybe with some knots and interesting swirls in the grain.

It is what could be viewed as the imperfections that make that second piece much more attractive and characterful.

This same principle is replicated in many walks of life.

Differences, even those which could be seen as imperfections, are what make things distinctive, unique, and memorable.

We should also remember that the piece of wood with the imperfections is as much a piece of wood as the supposedly “perfect” plank.

The choice between them is based on personal preference and proposed use rather than on whether one is better than the other.

So, what has this got to do with mental illness?

Like many things, our world, which is obsessed with perfection, likes to view mental illness as a weakness and look down on those who struggle in this way.

But the more you think about it, the more ridiculous this is.

Let’s start with the obvious comparison with physical illness.

Do we look down on anyone as weak because they contract a virus or break a leg crossing the road when a car runs a red light?

Of course not.

We can take steps to maintain both our physical and mental health.

But we have all heard the stories of the super-athletes who died from a heart attack at a young age and the centenarians who have smoked for most of their lives!

We can manage our mental and physical health somewhat, but huge amounts are still due to things we cannot control, from genetics or environmental factors to pure chance.

If we do not blame someone for having chicken pox or COVID-19, why do we think so differently about someone with depression or bipolar?

Then there is this myth that people with mental illness should pull themselves together and snap out of it.

It does not take much thought to realise just how ludicrous this is.

Many people take their own lives as a result of mental illness every year.

Did it not occur to them to choose to get better instead?

For years, I have longed to be free of my depression and anxiety, and if there were a way just to turn it off, I would have done so.

Just as you cannot know the pain of a physical injury unless you have experienced it yourself, you cannot conceive of the torment of mental illness if you have not been there.

Nobody chooses to be mentally ill.

But they do not help themselves, people sometimes say.

This is perhaps the worst aspect of mental illness.

Our brains are the executive managers of our whole selves.

When we cut our fingers, our brain deals with applying pressure, washing the cut, and putting on a dressing.

But when the brain itself is hurt, things get more complicated.

It is difficult to know what to do when the organ you use to reason and make decisions is the source of the issue.

It is like the doctor on a ship becoming sick themselves.

They may have thoughts on what could be wrong, but they cannot examine a wound on their own back, for example, or operate on themselves under anaesthetic.

They need someone else to help them, though they may still have a role to play.

So it is with mental illness.

It is tough to see the way forward for yourself, like looking through a steamed window.

Nobody ever chooses to be mentally ill.

It is a pain unlike any other.

To recap, our decisions usually have little or no impact on whether we become mentally ill, and we cannot choose just to be better.

So, how can it possibly be a weakness?

Only because our judgmental society chooses to see it as such.

So many people love to have a reason to look down on others, which helps them feel better about themselves.

The way to contentment is never by knocking others down, especially those struggling at the time.

We all have room to thrive, and we should delight in building each other up.

When we do that, we all benefit and share the joy and triumphs.

There is nothing weak about being mentally ill.

But the noise from society suggesting the contrary continues every day.

It makes it harder to admit when we are struggling and need help.

Nobody who has experienced mental illness themselves would behave like this.

The stigma, based on ignorance as so much in modern life is, needs to end.