IMAGINING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS
It’s difficult
to understand what someone with a mental illness
experiences, but this exercise may give you a better idea
DEPRESSIVE ILLNESS
Imagine that...
Nothing
seems enjoyable or fun anymore. Even
your favorite activities, spending time with friends, listening to music, or
going to the theatre, no longer give you any satisfaction or pleasure. What would it be like to be unable to enjoy
yourself?
You
suddenly find it difficult or impossible to remember anything you read. You read a page in a book, but when you set
the book down, you can’t remember what you read. How would you deal with your work or your
studies?
You
can’t remember anything your boss or teacher says. You sit through class or a meeting really
trying to pay attention, but when it is over you can’t remember what was
discussed. How would you feel about
going to class or work every day? How
would you explain your difficulties to your boss, teachers and parents?
You
live in a black and white and gray world, because all the color has faded
away. Someone “pulls the plug” on the
energy in your body, and all but 20% of your energy drains out. You feel full of hot, dry sand, too tired to
start even the simplest task. How easy
would it be to do your normal activities?
Simple
things you used to do automatically, like deciding what to wear or which radio
station to listen to, take enormous effort.
Even after deciding, you aren’t sure you made the right decision. How would this complicate your daily
routine? What if you had to handle major
decisions like where to go to college or big changes like moving to another
state?
You
wake up every morning for weeks and can’t think of one good reason to get
up. You wish you had died in your sleep,
and think the world would be better off without you. How much hope would you have for your future.
Put
three or more of these situations together.
This is the world that a person with depressive illness lives in. It is bleak and lifeless, without color or
humor.
UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE
WHO HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS:
This may make it
easier for you to understand how a person who is mentally ill might feel. They may feel this way all the time. Can you understand why they do not look very
attractive sometimes? Why they may not
comb their hair or change their clothes?
Can you understand how they must feel?
Now imagine how it would feel if you had some medication that helped
you handle this. Here is a reason why
some people with mental illnesses turn to street drugs to help them through the
day. But imagine if you were on the
right medication and these feelings and thoughts were much better. Wouldn’t it be worthwhile to get to a doctor
and give the medication a chance?
Hope
exists for people who have depressive illnesses because effective treatments
are available from medical doctors and qualified mental health
professionals. The important thing is to
seek treatment from a qualified professional.
NAMI of
Greater
Phone:
312-563-0445 Fax: 312-563-0467