When Mental Illness Enters Your Life

Photo bySydney SimsonUnsplash

What do you think of when you think of mental illness? Would you be surprised to know how many different forms of mental illness there are? Here is a short list.

Anxiety disorders

Depression

Bipolar disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Schizophrenia

Eating disorders

Disruptive behavior and dissocial disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Two of the personality disorders are histrionic personality disorder when a person makes drama out of everything to draw attention, and a narcissistic personality when someone has an excessive sense of self-importance and is extremely preoccupied with himself. He wants to be admired, thinks he is better than anyone else, and believes he deserves special treatment.

1 in every 8 people has a mental disorder of some kind. 301 million have an anxiety disorder. 280 million suffer from depression, and 40 million are bipolar. Almost all of us know someone who has a mental issue, or we have one ourselves, and many mental illnesses have not been diagnosed.

Many individuals with mental illnesses do not think they have an issue. They believe the problem lies with other people. Can you imagine having a family member who has a serious issue, but refuses to seek treatment? How do you navigate that?

I have been close with several people who struggled with mental illness. The first thing I have learned from my interactions is that mental illness has a wide reach. It effects everyone around the person with the illness.

Here are several of the situations I have been a part of regarding mental illness. I have two family members who are bi-polar. When someone is bi-polar, they experience dramatic highs and lows of emotions. It can sometimes feel as if two people live in the same body and you never know who is showing up. It can be tricky navigating the fluctuating emotions.

All three of my children have struggled with anxiety and depression. I reacted horribly when my oldest told me she was depressed. I didn’t understand the illness. I thought she wasn’t being grateful for what she had. I am very lucky that we eventually sent her to therapy and did not lose her. My middle child suffered in silence and didn’t tell me what he had gone through until he was older. People suffering from depression can mask it well, so be sure to check in and talk often. When my youngest said she was depressed, we found a therapist immediately. Depression and anxiety are not things to be taken lightly.

I have also had a friend and family members who were narcissists. Dealing with a narcissist is rough because they are master manipulators. They only care about themselves and will do anything to achieve what they want because they think they deserve it. They think everything should revolve around them, and they crave admiration. No one does anything better than they do. You may find it difficult to leave a relationship with them because just when you think you have seen enough of their dark side, they will suddenly treat you with respect and apologize for anything they have done wrong.

Treatment for mental illness will depend on which illness someone has, but do your research, and talk to a doctor. Good luck navigating the world of mental illness.