Don't Get it Twisted

 

Good Afternoon Lovies. I hope Monday has treated you well, despite the rainy weather (at least it is here). 

I am thrilled it is raining because it has alleviated most of my headache; even my body isn't hurting as much as it is BEFORE the "nasty" weather!!!

I am going to bring up a topic that I am very open about, and feel that it's still a very much taboo subject; but shouldn't be!!!

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

I am a HUGE advocate for people sharing their emotions, whether they are feeling good or down. I don't think anyone should be shamed, nor forced to feel like they have to hide their sadness or frustration because it makes others uncomfortable. To be frank, if it does bother those people... than they are NOT your people!!!

I encourage people to be open about life, what is bringing them "up" and what is bringing them "down"??? Please don't bottle things inside. I am coming from a place of love and compassion when I say these things because I know all too well what it feels like to do this... to feel completely alone in a room full of people. To feel that silence is NOT golden!!!

This is where I am going to sound a bit hypocritical...

I want to discuss the flip side of mental health disorders too. I fully acknowledge that many, many people suffer from various disorders; and YES, they are all at varying degrees. I don't have an issue with that. I am transparent with my own journey... some days, sometimes even weeks, I hit a funk and I am soooo out of it, or shut down, that I cut everyone out of my life and don't want to talk to anyone. I used to snap on people. I used to get physically angry with people and pushed away those who only wanted the best for me.

Thankfully, through those experiences I have had personal growth. This doesn't mean that I have the cure, or that I am perfect by any means... I have learned to explain to new people who are in my life (once I am comfortable with them), that I DO have CPTSD, panic and anxiety attacks among other mental disorders... so if I ever "explode" verbally at them or towards a situation (ie. ranting loudly about it); it is because I am in an episode. It is not personal and I will fully be accountable and acknowledge it as quickly as I can get out of the episode.

For the most part, I use my writing for therapy... and it is a beautiful way of expressing feelings, emotions, ranting or raving about anything and everything to an anonymous audience. Ever feel like it's sooooo much easier to speak to a complete stranger??? Funny how that works, right???

I guess what I am trying to get at is this, through life experience I see how a lot of people are using their disorders as crutches, it truly annoys me. Some use it as manipulation and that irks me to my very core. 

I have seen people who attempt to use it because they go through a break up and are desperate to get their partner back and will literally do ANYTHING to get them back... this is terrible behaviour; and I am sorry, you cannot use your health as a tool to cling onto someone!!! 

The last point I want to bring up is how the judicial system caters to the mentally ill. I am absolutely sick and tired of people who commit atrocities, then they claim to be mentally ill AND the courts deem them unfit for trial. 

Many of them get punished by being sentenced to a psychiatric facility; but are eventually released when they are deemed safe to return to society, slowly being reintegrated to be among the free...

I call HORSESHYT!!!

I feel this is a slippery slope, but it also is something a very broken system needs to correct. Society is only getting worse and our judicial system is pathetic... especially with our "beautiful" (note the sarcasm), CATCH & RELEASE program we have in Canada!!! 

If someone was not in the right state of mind while they committed the murder, and unfit to go to trial... then absolutely send them to a psychiatric facility for criminals ~ once they are deemed fit to return to society, whether it is through medication or therapy, etc... then they should be placed in a correction facility and face what they have done. I could mention many cases like this, and my heart goes out to the victims' families who will never see the justice they truly deserve.

Bottom line is this...

Stop using your mental health disorders as an excuse for bad behaviour. If you have a rough moment, feel it... process it. Your feelings ARE valid!!! It is perfectly okay, to not be okay... what is NOT okay, is you not taking accountability nor acknowledging YOUR actions and words. For every action, there is a reaction!!! I know many are going to disagree with my stance here, and it is fine to disagree; it's one of the joys of having freedom of speech. 

I CAN say I am NOT speaking out of my ass; as I do have first hand knowledge of actions and consequences!!! I KNOW what it is to live with mental health disorders. It's also why I say we HAVE mental health disorders, and not that we ARE mentally ill.

~Phoenix