Some people consider anxiety and depression "mainstream" or "socially acceptable." And this is great! It means we've made great strides. It means that people are receiving more support for their depression and anxiety disorders now than they have in previous decades.
But, by calling some mental illnesses "socially acceptable," that means there are many other mental illnesses that aren't supported by society. We still have a long way to go in raising awareness before the stigma attached to ALL mental health issues is erased.
So, I decided to write a series, “Not Mentally Mainstream,” to do my part to help normalize mental illnesses that are currently not as accepted or understood. But, with the knowledge I gained from writing this series, I realized there are so many more mental disorders I didn’t get a chance to talk about. I vow to expand my blog and talk more, on a regular basis, about the disorders that deserve a spotlight and more awareness than they are currently getting in the media.
Schizophrenia
Often in the media, I have seen people with severe mental illnesses, like schizophrenia, being misrepresented — portrayed as "crazy" or "dangerous." On the contrary, it's rare for someone diagnosed with schizophrenia to be violent, and the individual is more likely to be the victim of violence than the perpetrator. Read more.
Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
Joey King, the actress who played Gypsy in 'The Act' on Hulu, wrote on her Instagram, "I hope our show encourages people to educate themselves about Munchausen by proxy and how serious of an illness it is." And, so, that's what I decided to do — educate myself. Are there ways to prevent it? Read more.
Comorbid Mental Illnesses
Having a mental illness sucks. But do you know what sucks more? Having more than one mental illness. And, when a person has multiple mental illnesses, they can be contradictory and counteractive. Sometimes, it's hard to tell where one starts and the other begins. So what do you do? Read more.
Borderline Personality Disorder
I had heard of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but, when I sat down to think about it, I was disappointed in myself when I realized I didn’t know a thing about it. Not a single symptom. And, sadly, I’m not alone because BPD is a disorder that a lot of people don’t know anything about. Read more.
Compulsive Overeating
There are many articles dedicated to talking about obesity, of course, but, one thing that is not talked about enough is the fact that, for some people, overeating is actually a mental illness and a form of addiction. Read more.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
There's a misconception that ADHD is a childhood disorder. But that doesn't make sense. I mean...do you turn 18 and all of the sudden, all of your symptoms vanish? Read more.
Some people consider anxiety and depression "mainstream" or "socially acceptable." And this is great! It means we'...