Mental Illness or Natural Response?

Abuse trauma is so often in the experience of those with considered mental illness...I may be being a bit controversial but I actually feel that makes it kind of worse calling it illness, it is reasonable response to have mental and emotional difficulties to work through once abused or traumatised by events that have threatened life or taken away our autonomy in moments. It would be kind of unhealthy to not have any repercussions at all in our emotional development.

Mental health is to me about understanding the psyche, first my own and understanding typical reactions to conditions we live in. It has helped me considerably to understand why people react in certain ways often due to fear of not looking normal or of the person they are rejecting not looking normal. Frustration is entering here because I have a foggy mind due to physical problems that are physical and stress related. I sort of know what I want to say but feel I can';t get it out in a reliable way so that more people will understand what I am saying than won't :o)

When people understand natural and reasonable reactions to experiences it is easier to deal with the fall out. When people are not comfortable around us because we have had trauma and talk about it, it represses our healing process. It is like we are jolted out of alignment with our self, the only person who can realign us is ourself with appropriate support in understanding that is possible with more ease. Society could give that support yet they seem often afraid of 'us' who are labelled with mental health problems. I think this is because really even if they don't name it in this way they know that ''there by the grace of whatever go them and it is frightening to consider. Too frightening to possibly admit, especially if they feel close to the edge themselves.

Segments of society that get together and understand the strength it takes to strive towards a healthy mental/emotional health, encourage each other and give each other respect for the trials that have brought us here are like gifts. Wouldn't it be marvellous if we could spread that gift out into broader society so more people understood better coping strategies and were supported in them without it being something that is considered taboo and something ultimately many would be ashamed of. We are all different and find many different ways to cope but the ones I find who seem to be able to work through their nightmares to follow their dreams tend often to be ones who find this understanding of their psyche by exploring the depth of their personality and all of who they are....finding it difficult again to put into words....exploring creativity and meditating, expressing myself have all been things that have kept me going...my story that brought me here may still make me cry at times but I have made peace with much of it and I honour it and myself through loving the me it has helped create....I think! I may be jumbling words up though....grins

ps maybe I need to write this again one day when brain is functioning properly...my experience and the working through it to still find love instead of just fear putting a wall around my heart has all gone towards who I am today. Without the fear being magnified through adversity I may never have worked through it so intensely to determine love breaks down the walls of my own fear.