Chapter 1: The Unspoken Truth About Mental Health

It’s possible that even the most exemplary among us don’t always measure up to society's lofty expectations. However, this shortcoming might not be entirely negative—perhaps we were just setting ourselves up for unrealistic standards from the start.

Our interactions on platforms like Medium often give rise to profound insights. Through our exchanges, we refine and rejuvenate age-old inquiries regarding significant issues that remain unanswered.

For example, consider this exchange:

"Wonderful article, Rosario. Many individuals either live with depression or know someone who does, and your piece could help them recognize it and seek necessary support." This was my response to Rosario’s article on the subject of depression.

He replied, "Thanks for your kind words; I truly appreciate it. I hope this article finds its way to many readers, even by mere chance."

He further expressed, "If it could assist even one person, that would mean everything to me. I hope mental health will no longer be a 'taboo' topic in the future."

In return, I said, "Absolutely—it's hard to believe we haven't reached that point yet. I’ve been pondering how much of our daily interactions are aimed at convincing ourselves that we are aligned with reality, thus avoiding the label of 'mentally ill.'"

Could it be that our discussions here on Medium could inspire healing for some of the world’s afflictions? I have previously penned several articles inspired by the feedback of my favorite writers, or by the dialogues stemming from my comments.

Reflecting on my response to Rosario, I recalled my own upbringing in a family that distanced itself from my mother due to her schizophrenia. This personal experience made me acutely aware of the societal stigma surrounding mental illness. It struck me that our collective anxiety regarding mental health might arise from our fears about how we are perceived by others when we deviate from societal norms.

I felt I was onto something significant. Could it be that the shame we project onto those who are different, particularly those with mental health issues, is merely a way to reassure ourselves that we are more 'sane' than they are?

Continuing my dialogue with Rosario, I posed the question: "Is this why many struggle to empathize with someone who appears weak or mentally unwell? Such acknowledgment could potentially destabilize their own sense of identity and reality."

This sparked Rosario's interest. "That's a fascinating perspective. We’re venturing into philosophical territory, which I’ve always found captivating."

Then he made a striking observation: "If we were to consider everyone as somewhat 'mentally ill' in their own way, it might help reduce the perceived differences. People would stop viewing those with mental health challenges as outsiders."

Once this door opened, ideas flowed freely. "After all, who defines 'normal'? We are all unique, with our own fears and quirks."

Could it be that we all fall short of perfect mental health? Given the plethora of medications prescribed for various mental health conditions, perhaps Rosario is onto something profound.

The pressure to conform to an ideal of perfection—whether as adults, teenagers, or children—might be what drives many to their breaking points. Perhaps we are meant to be a little unsteady rather than perfectly poised; the struggle lies in our reluctance to admit this to ourselves or to others.

Rosario continued: "If we visualize ourselves on a spectrum of mental health issues, we might gain a different perspective, recognizing that we all have our challenges."

He added a caveat: "However, this could unintentionally reinforce discrimination against those with more severe mental health conditions, creating a cycle that perpetuates the status quo."

He concluded, "It's a vast subject. I apologize for the length of my comment, but your previous thoughts truly intrigued me! 😅"

I was taken aback by Rosario's insights, particularly regarding societal attitudes towards mental health. Naturally, I felt compelled to capitalize on this moment of collective brilliance, which stemmed from our simple conversation about his original article.

"These are compelling ideas; one of us, or perhaps both, should write an article based on this exchange," I suggested, wanting to give Rosario the first opportunity since it was his piece that ignited this discussion.

I continued, "Feel free to take the lead! I may contribute later, but we can certainly reference our conversation in our respective articles. What are your thoughts?"

Rosario replied, "I completely agree; that sounds like a great plan. I’ve been considering launching a publication focused on mental health challenges and how to address them, collecting our articles in one place."

"That sounds fantastic," I responded.

"Although it will require some time to organize, I’ll keep you updated on the progress," he said enthusiastically.

Fast forward a few months later, and we hadn’t yet found the time to write anything based on our enlightening conversation. I felt it was essential to capture these thoughts. I sought Rosario's permission to compile our dialogue into this piece, and he agreed without hesitation.

What do you think? Did we uncover any valuable insights? Have you ever found inspiration from discussions with fellow writers on Medium?

I intended to link to Rosario's original article here, but I discovered he had recently removed it from Medium to pursue publication in a specialized mental health journal and possibly in his own mental health publication on the platform.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of his other noteworthy pieces on mental health still available on Medium:

Both are excellent reads and well worth your time.

As for me, I also have my own contributions on mental health topics. Here are two of my articles:

For context, I hold a master’s degree in counseling education from Penn State University, where I was consistently on the dean’s list. I graduated from NYU as a university honors scholar. I spent two decades in the counseling field before transitioning to full-time writing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you enjoyed this piece, please feel free to share, comment, or show your appreciation.

Wishing you peace and strength as you navigate your journey…