I'm not Mad, I'm MAD. - by Trixie Wrights

An eight-year-old girl was battling “moodiness.” Her aunties and uncles noticed, her parents noticed but they felt she just liked seclusion. Notice how I didn't put parents first? They didn't notice until much later. The ones that did, had been prying and waiting for an opportunity to be judgemental. Gradually, it began to escalate and as she grew she became angry and irrational. Eventually, she was diagnosed with a severe form of depression. Hear me out. I don't think the problem is mental illness. I think the problem is our response to it. People with mental illnesses are often discarded, discouraged and dismissed. They fight to be heard and that can include behavioural changes in order to communicate. Hence the title of this article. You see, mental illnesses come in all forms. Mental health conditions can affect thoughts, emotions, appetite and behaviour, and some symptoms can be difficult to control. Involuntary actions are very common. Many that are mentally ill are not mad. No, they are not possessed by demons. They do not need prayers in that way. They simply don't have complete controls over their brains. Prayers help them to heal and give them hope as well as something to look forward to. Something about praying it away or sitting it out doesn't sit well with me. I know the eight year old girl. She tried to convey her message, even when she didn't understand it. She didn't know what it meant to suddenly start crying after playing with friends for an hour. Or what it meant to sit in a corner away from others after a pop-up thought that should've been dismissed. What if the problem isn't that they aren't speaking up? What if it's that they are not being heard? What if they are being gaslit and manipulated? The Lindsay Clancy case still echoes in my mind as I write this. She was placed on several medications that probably worsened the situation. Do we know of the hundreds if not thousands of possible victims of psychiatric patients whose medications frequently worsen their health? When they speak up they try their very best to be heard. They have gathered the courage to speak, why shouldn't we at least try to listen? Now, to the main question. The reason we're here. Factually, If more people shared their stories the disadvantages would first of all outweigh the advantages. In this part of the world, mental health is a delicate topic. The courageous ones who speak about it are often stigmatised and secluded. What's the benefit of speaking up other than someone out there can relate? An eight year old girl’s immediate thought isn't if someone can relate or if her story can create a change, it's if she's normal. She wants to understand herself more and know why she doesn't get along with everyone else. Now, I wouldn't say there are no benefits to publicly talking about mental health issues, after all the internet has proven that it can be a safe space. However, it needs to be said that it is still a very delicate topic. It should be handled with purpose and clarity. Finally, why did we as a society tag mental disorders as mental illnesses? Why did we make it a thing of shame? No one wakes up one day and says “I want depression and bipolar disorder.” That eight year old girl definitely didn't! What if they are not stupid or dramatic? Don't get me wrong, they are ill but what if we are aiding the ailment? Frequent anger, sadness and frustration can take a toll on their minds and bodies. It takes a super human to live with severe mood swings, behaviour and action changes as well as other plights. Truth be told, they are not mad. They are not diseased, they shouldn't be exiled, they should be cared for. We as a society should endeavour to reach out to them in order to prove that they do not need to air their business before they can be considered. The internet is already cruel enough. Maybe it's time we stopped asking if sharing stories creates a real change but asking if they'll be heard if they share.

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