Why it is Okay to be "Not Okay"?


“The worst part about having a mental illness is people expect you to behave as if you don't.” Arthur Fleck / Joker (2019).

Unfortunately, people with mental health conditions often encounter public stigma, and may even suffer from self-stigma [1]. This implies that individuals with mental health conditions are not solely battling with their symptoms, but these misunderstandings and stigmas. 


Maybe it is challenging to abolish certain labels or alter the way people see us overnight. What we can do, is to minimise self-stigmatisation, and understand that it’s completely okay to feel not okay. 


We are not as “abnormal” as we think


Statistically speaking, we are not really a minority group. One in four adults is actually affected by mental health conditions. To illustrate, it was estimated that 792 million people lived with a mental health disorder (but one should note that mental health disorders are widely under-reported) [2]. A reference point to these seemingly distanced numbers - 35.5 million people got sick with influenza between 2018-2019 [4]. But interestingly, the general public doesn’t seem to see influenza as something uncommon, for we would even call it a “common cold”.


With these statistics and numbers, it seems reasonable to claim that mental illnesses or mental health conditions are, in fact, quite common. Thus, having these mental “common cold” has nothing to be ashamed of.


Mental illness does not define us


Just like the fact that we will not introduce ourselves as “someone with chronic lower back pain”, we are not defined by our mental health conditions, too. 


There are living proofs to tell us that we are way more than our mental health conditions. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) is known for his mental condition while producing many of his absolutely impressive artworks, including the famous Starry Night. Another famous painting, The Scream, was also created by a painter with mental health conditions - Edvard Munch (1863-1944). 

“I can not get rid of my illnesses, for there is a lot in my art that exists only because of them.” Edvard Munch.

They were not “mentally-ill artists”, they were talented souls who struggled with mental health conditions. You, too, are not incompetent nor weak. You're talented, enchanting and worthy. You, too, are capable of bringing technicolour to the world, for mental health conditions can never stop us from shinning. 


Perhaps at some point(s) in our life, we experience turmoils, we feel blue, distress, hopeless, lonely, or inexplicably feeling like I can’t go on and just can’t pull myself together. But we are a living human being, and it is completely normal to have feelings. There’s nothing calls “it is wrong to feel sad”. Instead, going through all the colours in this emotional spectrum only shows that we are a highly functioning human.

It is totally understandable that sometimes negative thoughts just barge in, but might this passage be a little reminder to you that it’s okay to feel not okay. Just know that you are never atypical, for millions of passers-by are also fighting against their symptoms too (they are anonymously fighting alongside you); for mental health conditions never ever determine who you are and stop you from being wholesome and lovable. 



Wholeheartedly,

The Lights Within





Finding help:

Lifeline: Call 13 11 14


Sane: Call 1800 18 7263



Sources：

[1] Rüsch, N., Angermeyer, M. C., & Corrigan, P. W. (2005). Mental illness stigma: Concepts, consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma. European Psychiatry, 20(8), 529–539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2005.04.004. Retrieved from https://www.fundacion-salto.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Concepts-consequences-and-initiatives-to-reduce-stigma.pdf

[2] Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2018). Mental Health. Our World in Data. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/mental-health#citation

[3] National Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Mental illness. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml

[4] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Estimated influenza illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the united states — 2018–2019 influenza season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2018-2019.html

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