Flowers Aren't the Only Things Growing Right Now

      So somehow during all of this chaos, searching, waiting, finding distraction, and realizing that through all of this, I can not only help others in a similar positions of my own, I can help bring awareness to these "invisible illnesses."  I also stumbled upon an amazing group of people and was given an opportunity to help run a website dedicated to this purpose for which I feel both thankful and blessed.  After talking to a few friends about this new site (which we're still in the process of getting it off the ground), I realized something:  the site doesn't just have to be about invisible physical illnesses like fibromyalgia, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, myositis, juvenile arthritis... the list goes on and on when it comes to autoimmune and autoimmune-like illnesses, but it can also be a site to raise awareness and help those living with (and loved ones living with or know someone with help better understand) about a more common, more invisible, and a more stigmatized group of illnesses--mental illness. 
      Some mental illnesses or diseases are far more common than others, such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), while others are not so common (Borderline Personality Disorder, Schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder (formally known as Multiple Personality Disorder).  And as with anything else, there is a huge range of severity with all of these diseases.  There are also no black and white, scientific medical tests to diagnose a patient.  It's not like you can go to your primary care doctor (although some people do and receive a diagnosis) or a psychiatrist, get some blood drawn, and get a diagnosis based on some lab results.  It's a process.  The doctor asks a myriad of questions, including your symptoms, generally runs some basic tests (not lab tests, but rather a series of psychological based tests), and eventually comes to a conclusion based on the results and a massive book that is used to help in the diagnosing process.  It's not an exact science, but it is based on years of scientific and empirical research.  In many cases, medication can be used to treat the disease to either bring it under control, it's recommended to combine medication and therapy to help a patient, sometimes medication alone helps, and sometimes just going through therapy helps.  It all depends on the patient, the disease, and the severity of the disease.
      In some cases of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and obsessive compulsive disorder, a combination of medication of therapy and medication can help "cure" a patient.  It all depends on what brought the patient to that point in the first place.  In other cases, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, medication is something that will most likely be required for the rest of their life to help keep their symptoms under control.
       The problem with mental illness or disease is this:  there is a HUGE stigma attached to it.  Even the word "mental" brings up images of strait jackets, all kinds of negative connotations, those horror stories you hear on the news about escaped asylum patients and the atrocious things they've done... the word "crazy..." I can go on.  But the fact is, this simply isn't true.  Instances like that are extremely rare.  Yes, most of us (myself included) crack jokes about being crazy or insane, poke fun at each other because our lives are stressful and sometimes so difficult to deal with that it's either make what to some may seem an insensitive joke or have a breakdown.  And if whenever I get my diagnosis, I do plan on becoming a psychologist.  I've gotten into why in the past and will most likely explain it again in the future, but for now, that's not the point.  The point is this:  even though raising awareness about physical invisible illnesses is very important, so is raising awareness of mental invisible illnesses.  Because the truth is, if you have one, there is no shame in it, but sadly, it's understandable why many people with one stay silent on the subject.  And for those who don't have one?  They need to learn about these illnesses and what they REALLY are instead of hollywood's or cable's portrayals of them.  If everyone judged, insulted, or shunned everyone else that was different from them, this world would be nothing but a bunch of prejudicial hermits.  And at this rate, it looks like we're headed in that direction out of nothing more than sheer ignorance.