Shattering the Stigma: Can the Mentally Ill Be Successful?
When my daughter was in middle school, she struggled to do well on her tests because of her learning style. She would complain bitterly that her brother could get better grades with much less effort than she could. Although I did comfort her, my consistent message to her was to face the truth head on: she was going to have to work twice as hard as others for the same results. She believed me and determined to do so. I got her tutors and she learned to use colors, flash cards, and every last learning trick that she could. She more than succeeded and went on to college. She is successful in her career today, not in spite of her disabilities, but because of the them. The skills she learned developed her into a patient, disciplined, and creative leader in her field.
Mental health issues can also be disabilities, but they do not excuse someone from becoming all that they were designed by God to be. God gave each of us varying talents, and we will each be held accountable for our use of them.
The key to success is facing the truth. We must honestly assess our strengths in order to build on them and our weaknesses in order to master them.
Step one in recovery for the addict is admitting helplessness. Those who are depressed or anxious must resist the temptation to see their negative thoughts as “true” and pursue the medical, professional, physical, or social resources that work for them to lift the depression or anxiety. The person with Bipolar Disorder, must learn to recognize the manic and depressive swings for what they are, and find medical or social support to stabilize their moods.
It is hard work to overcome mental illness, but our trials make us better people. We become more dependent on God, more compassionate and patient with others, less judgmental, more disciplined, and more grateful for our blessings. We learn to live well.
Mental illness is not a permanent roadblock to the path of life. It is a hardship to be admitted and managed so that we do live well. Those suffering with mental illness can have full, meaningful lives, some in spite of the struggles, and many because of it.
Here are a few role models to consider:
Celebrity Howie Mandel masters his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as well as many other celebrities who have gone public about their mental health issues.
Winston Churchill, Mariah Carey, Mel Gibson, Jimi Hendrix, Ernest Hemingway, Ted Turner, Martin Luther, Vincent Van Gogh, Virginia Wolf, and many more have or had Bipolar Disorder.
The mathematical genius John Nash (“A Beautiful Mind”) struggled with Schizophrenia.
Brooke Shields wrote a book about her Postpartum Depression.
Artist Yayoi Kusama’s “neurosis” has been a driving force behind her famous art.
Like needing to admit our sins in order to be forgiven, we need to face our mental health issues in order to overcome them. The solutions need to be individually tailored through trial and error, professional help, perseverance, emotional support, and sometimes by adjusting our lifestyles or choosing the right spouse or career. The truth does, in fact, set us free.
by Tova Kreps, LCSW, President & Co-Founder
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To continue the conversation on mental health stigmas, join Wellspring Thursday, April 30, as we seek to Shatter the Stigmas through our live stream event from the comfort of home, with an online silent auction, Dr. Ed Stetzer, videos and interactive discussions with our panel and our audience.