Having a mental illness does not define you, it's not who you are

To the editor,

I am writing this letter in hopes that it will be published and provide guidance and hope to others that have similar experiences as me. I am a 71 year old widowed mother of two children. I am diagnosed with a mental illness and have had it for most of my entire adult life. I am diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder and for any of you who know anything about mental illness know what a struggle life can be at times. Admitting you need help is a very powerful and amazing thing I know that years ago mental illness was looked at as a scary, horrible thing by society, but let me tell you from first hand experience times have changed and there is help out there with amazing people.

People shouldn’t be afraid to reach out and seek help, people in this world have suffered for far too long and the negative stigma that comes with having a mental illness needs to stop. I feel as a society that we don’t respect others as we should, which in turn leads people to not respect themselves and have low self-esteem. Once I started receiving help from Genesis Behavioral Health and learning the skills necessary to manage the symptoms of my mental illness I started to see my life in a more positive way, it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I started to change. It has been a long hard journey but I have enjoyed it all even the struggles because within each struggle is a lesson to be learned. One of the most important lessons to learn is to stop and think before placing judgment onto another person. Treat people the way you want to be treated, I know that sounds funny but I have lived a long time and it is the truth. To get respect you have to be able to give it and respect yourself. Respect is something that is earned; you do not just get it. I have learned a great deal from all the problems I have faced throughout my life. Things happen for a reason there may never be a clear understanding of why something happens but believe me there is a reason.

My hope in writing this is that people will read it and decide that maybe they need help and seek it out. Having a mental illness does not define you, it’s a part of who you are but it is not who you are. I think that is where some individuals get mixed up and they think because they have a mental illness that all they are is that diagnosis and that is not the truth by any means. My hope is that society will continue to grow and change how they see and perceive an individual diagnosed with a mental illness and with this change people suffering will be able to receive the help and treatment they deserve because at the end of the day we are all people!

Jean L.

(Editor's note: The writer's surname has been withheld to protect her privacy.)