My brother told me to Embrace my Mental Illness - you know accept it completely - admit it to myself, get all of the support I need for it.
I think that he is trying to accept his mental illness, he has Major Depressive Disorder, and his son, my nephew has mild Autism and depression/anxiety.
He was probably projecting again, he does this frequently.
As far as my bipolar/schizoaffective goes, I have embraced it a long time ago - but I kind of do see his point too, sometimes I try to pass off as a neurotypical too much, and I tend to forget that I have a disability/severe mental illness - limitations, and this is ok too.
Yeah, I think that he is trying to Embrace his own mental illness or his son’s - He is a sneaky one alright
the theory that he’s projecting makes sense. Trying to advise you as a way for him to deal with his own head circus. It also seems like it’s a tool for denial… if he’s projecting on to you… he doesn’t have to admit it to himself. It might be to scary for him to face himself. ( I have a feeling… you already gathered all that)
I think I accept my Sz. But I still try to pass a neurotypical. I do ask for help… I have admitted it to some people. (mostly myself) Oddly enough… it’s hard to accept when things are going well.
When they are going off the rails… it’s easy to admit… it’s not me it’s my illness.
But after a really good day… or I’m feeling confident… looking in the mirror and accepting my Sz feels like a punch in the stomach. I’m still trying to get my mind around accepting this head circus with out accepting it’s prognosis. (if that makes any sense)
Good luck and I’m glad your brother is trying to start the conversation… (awkwardly it seems) … but it sounds like it’s a start.
I’m still stuck at both. I’m not accepting the illness and I’m having great difficulty to forget about the prognosis. I take it day for day and each night I go to sleep I hope to wake up in the morning and it all was just a nightmare. I get in enough rest each day to allow myself 4 to 5 quality hours in a day to do whatever I wish. If I try to do more than that the crippling effects of this disabling illness overwhelms me. It’s like a constant reminder of my limitations. This will probably result that I will finally have to embrace this illness.
I ignore my illness as far as when I get bad thoughts or something, just ignore and move on. I feel as if I’ve accepted my illness. I see people like pixel and malvok doing so well. I don’t think I can do what those guys do, but I am happy with my life.
I used to reject it all the time. Then I would have a relapse and worry. Hmm is something really wrong with me ?
Then I would get better and repeat the cycle enough times. Then I would say, "so what if something is wrong with me? " Just give me Seroquel and I’ll get better again just to repeat the cycle. So what.
My work doesn’t seem to care if I have to take off, they’re happy to see me back.
The term ‘embrace’ implies affection, something I have none of for Sz. Or my diabetes. Or my heart condition or bad back. I accept my health problems and do my best to work around them with medical guidance, but I try not to romanticize them or let them define me as a person. It’s not the obstacles that define who I am, but how I go about my journey and where I arrive.
Yeah, I think my brother was using the wrong word - Embrace - kind of means that you support or accept something with enthusiasm, there is no enthusiasm involved when it comes to me accepting my BP/SZA - but I do accept that I have this illness, I accepted it a long time ago.
I think what my brother was trying to tell me was “OK you have a severe mental illness - so what, just live your life”
I do sometimes get bogged down with this illness - I am too hard on myself sometimes.
Its a matter of accepting the harsh reality and moving forward despite the illness and its limitations
Yeah I wouldn’t embrace your illness. You don’t want your life to be on a trajectory dictated by the latest fad , the latest theory , the latest self help drose , the latest construct. Everyone’s got an opinion, and some are selling all matter of shite. Do what’s right for you.
I do accept that I have a severe mental illness about
90%. The remaining 10% is a thought that I don’t want to admit it. It’s really shocking to know that you’re disabled. Some ppl might see it as a part of your charactors, and I partly agree with them, I still can’t help but feel deeply sad about not having been able to experience what most ppl can experience, or experiencing what most ppl don’t have to experience.
Having a pair of eyes that’s different from one other is not the same as having just one eye. That’s the difference between charactors and disabilities.
