Overcoming the Stigma of a Mental Breakdown

A few years ago, I experienced a severe mental breakdown. I had been suffering from untreated major depression and my condition reached a point where I needed hospitalization, medication and therapy. I overcame my depression and breakdown, but once I did I knew I would never be the same again. However, that didn’t mean that I would allow myself to feel like an outsider from society or a pariah, singled out for my condition. I needed a way to share my experience and create understanding for it at the same time, because this in turn would help me to heal and recover.

Mental illness has a way of making you feel you no longer among the real world and that you’re outside looking in. it’s difficult enough just having to deal with a mental condition without having to deal with other people’s perceptions of you. People still have very negative ideas about those dealing with mental illness, such as they are weak-willed, crazy, incompetent or worse that you are dangerously violent or criminally insane.

You have to overcome the shame and feelings of disgrace that’s associated with mental illness because of society’s misconceptions about your condition. It’s not easy knowing that people would not want to work with you, hang out with you or worse not even marry you, because you’re mentally ill. What’s even more problematic is that many don’t view mental illness as real illness at all, especially those dealing with depression or anxiety disorders.

So how does one overcome the stigma of having a mental breakdown and living with a mental condition? Aside from joining support groups, the best solution that I have discovered is through writing about it. I wrote like crazy when I was very ill and it helped enormously in my recovery. When I felt I needed to do something about taking away my shame and feelings of disgrace, I decided to start writing about my experiences and sharing them with others.

I enrolled in a city college and I joined a local writer’s conference through my local library. I also joined a few online writing groups when I felt strong enough. When I first started writing about my experiences, and sharing it with others, I was terrified of the reaction I would receive. I thought people would reject me or shunned me, but the opposite occurred. Most people praised my work and courage to open up, and encourage me to write more about what happened to me. They were understanding and kind and very sympathetic.

I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and release through this process, because I was not only sharing my story, but informing others as well. It all helped me to realize that people were willing to listen and understand, not prejudge and recoil from those suffering with a mental disorder, which is a legitimate illness. As a result, it alleviated my feelings of shame and pain, while finding some much needed compassion, support and acceptance.