It’s something not many sufferers want to talk about. Ironically, it’s something a lot of people like to talk about when it doesn’t concern them.
In a world where everything is interconnected by the convenience of the Internet, keyboard warriors are quick to comment on psychological issues and the ‘selfishness’ of suicide yet when action is needed, zero is delivered. In our world today, the highest suicide rate comes from the Southeast Asian region, according to the World Health Organisation. Medicine and therapy can only do so much, but without acknowledgment, an attempt to heal is futile. There are many articles about what you can do to end the stigma surrounding mental illness, but I feel more inclined to share my story as a person with such conditions in Malaysia – a country that should be more aware and empathetic.
Last year, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I didn’t show the signs of a person in distress, but I suffered the consequences of my reckless actions caused by hypomania. After many months of neglect, my body started reflecting the rotten thing that is my mind. I was running out of expenses, spending recklessly on retail therapy. Some days I would work tirelessly like I had all the energy in the world, other days I would be so down I couldn’t bring myself to complete any work. I skipped classes, I lost sleep along with my appetite, and I developed a bad cough that never seemed to stop because my immune system was impaired. Luckily enough, I made the conscious decision to see a general practitioner and asked if I could see a doctor for the mind. He gave me a recommendation; I came back the next week with an appointment. As a bright-eyed 20 something year-old, I am privileged enough to recognise that something is wrong, and here is my initiative to recover. I’m a high-functioning bipolar patient. Just like everyone else I maintain a job I like, I pay my rent, my bills, go out on dates, see my friends, drink on a Friday night but on a bad day, I’m unkind to myself enough that I have thoughts of taking my own life. Whether or not I act on it is something else, but who knew that chemical imbalances in the brain could demotivate you so much that performing daily tasks can be so tough?
We are just like everyday people who have a lot on our plate and more often than not, we try to keep everyone around us very happy.
We may be erratic, we may have strange habits, but many of us try very hard to maintain a normal life. Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t emo all the time and we have hobbies just to better ourselves. I have met many people from my hospital who are much older, and have been medicated for a long time due to illnesses like ADHD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, and many more. If you do not feel like using drugs but still want to be well, give a try to alternative medicine. For example, you can use CBD products to calm the anxiety. I buy my CBD from https://smokepost.com/. These people are blessed to have company at the hospital whenever they come in for treatment. Many people out there are left undiagnosed, so they continue living with demons that no prayer and self-help books can help. Please acknowledge that some things in our bodies are beyond our control, so is the mind when it goes wild. If you live with one that cannot be tamed, please don’t deny yourself the opportunity to get better. Talk to someone you can trust, never underestimate the power of therapy and medication from sites like https://cbdarmour.co.uk/, don’t give up on the little passions in life that keep the fire inside you burning.
