“One Simple Trick”
I'm sure you've seen articles and podcasts and Instagram influencers who claim that they “overcame” their mental illnesses with “one easy trick”. At some point, we've all come across them.
Usually I just roll my eyes and continue on with my day, not giving it much more thought. However, I've been thinking recently about how harmful this idea can be.
Mental health is different for everyone. Treatment of mental illness is different for everyone. You may have generalized anxiety disorder, like I do, but we could have completely different treatment plans. I take medication, maybe you have found a different pill or something else to help you cope.
As long as what you're doing isn't hurting you or anyone else, I'm on board.
This idea of “one” thing to cure all sorts of mental disorders is not only completely untrue, but as I said before, it can be actively harmful. If someone who has only recently been diagnosed or become aware of some mental health issues they're having, they might be desperate to find something to help it. If they stumble upon a video or article or podcast claiming to solve all of their problems, they are likely to give it a chance.
But then what? They try whatever it is, it might work for them. Maybe. But what if it doesn't? Will they think there's something wrong with them, that they aren't trying hard enough? This kind of shaming happens with diets all the time. The people who sell them claim that the diet plans are so easy to follow, but if it's not sustainable (which most of them are not) for you, well, you must have done it wrong. Guess you aren't committed enough to living a better life (insert absolutely massive eye roll here).
This is a marketing tactic to make people stick with that plan. If someone finds a YouTube video about solving mental illness and sees a bunch of comments saying how great it worked, that person will most likely be hard on themselves for not being able to do it. If these people can, why can't I?
I understand how tempting it is to believe this kind of stuff. The idea of living with a disorder for the rest of your life is extremely overwhelming, and I get being so desperate that you are willing to try anything.
One of the hardest parts of living with mental illness is understanding that you will have good days and bad days. You will most likely never be “cured”, but you can learn to manage your symptoms. You can go to therapy and learn new skills, but those skills are difficult to implement sometimes. You can try medication, but the price could be out of your range, or you could cycle through several different kinds and never find the one that works for you.
This sounds bleak, I know. We all get stuck in these thoughts sometimes, and it's hard to crawl back out.
The biggest thing I want you to take away from this post is this: mental health treatment is a marathon, not a sprint. Having bad days does not mean that you are getting worse or backsliding or anything like that.
Finding a community that understands what you're going through is one of the best things you can do for yourself. That's what I'm trying to build here–a place where we can all remember that we're not alone in our struggles. You are allowed to feel any and all emotions related to your diagnosis, it's natural.
I'm really glad you're here, and I hope you find a treatment plan that works for you.
–Abbie
