The Other Touchy Side of the Mental Health Issue

Why are my issues any less important, just because I haven’t been diagnosed?

It really tends to bother me the way some people make me feel like I have to tiptoe around certain emotional or mental issues that I recognize in myself. I know that the subject of mental health is a touchy subject, and apparently, in more ways than one.

Once upon a time, there was such a stigma around the subject of mental health, people were ashamed or afraid to even broach the subject. Nowadays, it’s politically correct to do it, but it also seems like it’s only alright, under certain circumstances.

Maybe it’s not really as bad as all that, but on more than one occasion, I’ve gotten a certain vibe from different writers on this topic.

Basically, the vibe came off as: “If you’re not a professional, and you don’t have a medical diagnosis for mental health, leave the subject alone.”

When is it Okay to Talk about Mental Health?

I guess the question comes down to: “When is it okay to talk about mental health?” Or for that matter, who should be able to discuss this subject?

I say why shouldn’t I call myself bipolar if I know I possess all the symptoms, but I never had a doctor confirm it? Should I have to leave that subject alone, unless I’m officially in the club?

I’ve lived a hard knocks life as a kid and as an adult, and I’ve seen, done, and been exposed to things that most people couldn’t even begin to imagine.

I don’t need to be medically diagnosed to know what kind of aftermath can result from mental and physical trauma.

Physical, mental, sexual and emotional abuse, all lead to a variety of negative conditions and syndromes for all the unfortunate survivors. So imagine being the victim to all four of these abuses, at various stages of your life.

Shouldn’t surviving these type of conditions count as credibility and past experience on my resume, under “Why I think I’m qualified to talk about abandonment, abuse, self-help, fear of failure, overcoming challenges and dealing with anxiety.”

Some self proclaimed experts in the mental health field tend to wince at the thought of someone who is not a professional sharing information on certain topics.

I definitely understand the need to prevent people from giving erroneous advice and opinions, and leading people astray.

I also recognize the possible legal ramifications for writers, as well as the writing platform, in the event someone prescribes any type of legal, or financial advice, let alone giving medical directives.

But I feel it’s perfectly acceptable to talk about your personal experiences, including behavior that mimics known conditions and syndromes, whether you’ve been diagnosed or not.

For Instance:

I recently shared a story talking about a television program I enjoyed, and at the center of the story was the issue of the character’s bipolar condition.

After sharing a brief review of the movie, I concentrated on the aim of my story, which was to stress how good it felt to see Hollywood handle the subject in the way it did.

The thing that ultimately led to me writing this story now, is the fact that I submitted the story to a publication that I felt it was right for; a publication that I’ve written for in the past.

To my surprise, the story was rejected — in a polite way, but a rejection none the less. So I did like I normally do with a rejected story. I thanked the editor just as politely, and I preceded to publish the story myself.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t give it another thought, because obviously I did. I was bothered, because I wondered if the editor thought I was taking the subject matter too lightly.

The publication caters to earnest stories about how people are healing themselves through self-help scenarios, and many of the writers have been diagnosed with conditions they continue to deal with.

The last thing in the world I wanted was to seem like the issue of mental health, or bipolar syndrome was something I took lightly.

Granted, this conclusion that I drew about the editor’s reaction to my story is all in my head, but that doesn’t mean it’s not potentially true.

I felt like the editor didn’t think I should be talking about a topic that wasn’t mine to talk about, even though in the story, I briefly mentioned my own struggle with bipolar syndrome.

Maybe I should have elaborated on my regular or irregular highs and lows; the ones that take me so high, I’m manic enough to churn out 286 stories (including this one) in a less than four month period.

Or the lows that make me destroy all my notes and eliminate projects and files I’ve worked on for too long, and suddenly feel too overwhelmed to ever complete them.

I didn’t go into all that, nor did I talk about the obsessive note taking, stat watching, numbers chasing compulsions I have.

Maybe if I would have, the editor might have felt that my minor issues (relatively speaking) are equally as relevant as those writers who have been medically diagnosed with the bipolar condition.

Final Thoughts

This story was not to shed a negative light on any editor or their publication, that’s why I didn’t name names.

This issue is MY issue, and how I felt as a result of the rejection. But rejection is just another one of my many issues, and I don’t need a therapist to tell me that either. Thankfully I already realize it, and that’s what helps me to cope.

The subject of mental health is not something that anyone has a monopoly on. Others should be able to talk about the less than severe experiences they have with the condition, even if they’re not on the doctor or patient end of things.

People struggle with mental health conditions everyday, whether they’ve been diagnosed or not. In my case, I find that the ammunition I use to fight comes from knowing and understanding myself and my symptoms.

Being able to talk about the issue, in any way, fashion, shape, or form is always therapeutic to me, even if it’s just by mentioning it in the review of a television program.

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