Psychno

Over the past couple of years I have noticed a steady increase in people "coming out" on social media about mental illnesses. As with every controversial topic there are supporters and haters. The haters label said bravery as a means of getting attention and the supporters- well they support it obviously.  On one extreme side, it is thought that any conversation surrounding the "coming out" is evidence of society condoning this attention seeking behavior. On the flip side, this mentally unstable bandwagon is the life-saving flotation device for someone drowning in a treacherous pool of liquid self loathing.

Why is there such a huge discrepancy between these two perspectives? Is it a lack of understanding and compassion for the human condition when not represented by idealistic behavior? Who really knows... Unfortunately the majority of conversations surrounding this topic are concerning the act the discussing the topic itself. Some people comment on the topic by saying, it's a real thing... I know exactly how they feel. While others push it the other way by saying how it's all made up and the people who make confessions are just being mellow dramatic and those that do it are selfish. The cold hard facts, the truth, and the science behind it all is sometimes too complicated for every single person to wrap his or her head around. Instead of accepting the evidence alongside of the fact that there is a lack of understanding for it in the first place, these people choose to reject it entirely and stick to their old ways. Evidently, this leads to an ignorance among the masses that bleeds through communities faster than wine on snow white carpet.

In either case, a true solution has yet to be found. How can society as a whole embrace the misfortunes of mental illness, take some notes and strive to achieve a better understanding of its causes and implications?