How do you know if someone has a mental illness? Well to some it's kind of evident. To others it's not. Wouldn't it be so simple if the people that struggle with mental just came out and shared that with you? Wouldn't it be fantastic if you didn't have to wonder? Wouldn't it be splendid if they told you how they needed you to interact with and how to help them? If they did these things how would you respond / react?

I've heard some people express that they wished they'd known about their friends or families struggles with mental illness and what to do. I'm curious as to however what it is they do when they find out and are told about the ways that they can help those dealing with mental illness. It's like that age old idiom. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. If you have a mental illness but don't know or tell those closest to you. They tend to use mental illness phrasing as derogatory attacks. They'll tell you things like "You're sick!", "You're crazy!" and the all time classic "You need help!" When you actually acknowledge that you need help for your mental well being and they still use these words. Well they are just ignorant. These are just some of the reasons people dealing with mental illness do not share there fight with it.

Battling mental illness is a long term fight. There are people out there that expect you to just get over it. They see you not doing well and shrug and will tell you to suck it up. My favorite is when they tell you that they want to help you. They tell you you should ask for help and not be ashamed. When you do come around to asking them for help they label you as a user or some other malevolent parasite. It's almost like their playing a game. Dangle the carrot of care just to see how they can play with your mind and emotions and then snatch it back.

Understanding goes a long way.