Mental Health
What is mental health? Where did it come from? Why is it so prominent? Are we crazier now then other times in history?
Mental health has been around as long as there have been humans. For the most part, it went mis-diagnosed as cowardice, inability to handle emotions, being weak. Hell, we had asylums not that long ago where all people diagnosed with mental health problems were put. The great part was you could experiment all you wanted on these people as they were considered separate from the civilized. If you found something that “cured” them, great. Back into the mix they go. If you render them a vegatable, great. Now you know what doesn’t work. Or you got to play with electicity which is fun.
It wasn’t that bad, but in some cases it was worse. In all cases, though, there was an understanding that there was something very wrong with you and it was a burden on society to have it amongst the population. So people hid their problems, some very well. Some things got called mental health problems but weren’t, such as being gay or transexual. Some who didn’t want to get caught would accuse others of having a problem. A stigma arose from the fear of mental health. If someone could be compromised mentally, they could do all kinds of atrocities. Bill was a great saleman, but you couldn’t promote someone who has anxiety. He should hide it better if he was man enough.
My brain right now is firing in all kinds of crazy ways that don’t make a lot of sense. Sometimes I am normal, whatever that is. Sometimes my frontal lobe is missing. Sometimes my brain is on holidays and I have no access to thoughts or emotions. How do you handle something like that? Medication helps. Or hinders. Or both. Or neither. Who knows? Right now it feels like I have to start all over again. Do I have the strength to start again? Maybe. The older I get, the fewer opportunities are open to me. I can’t take forever to fix my brain while life passes me by.
It’s now or never to acknowledge my issues and work toward solutions. Time is not on my side. I hate to feel like I am letting my family down. But I keep trying. Failing. But trying. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
