MENTAL ILLNESS AND ABUSE

Graham Thornicroft, in his book Shunned: Discrimination against people with mental illness said this: “Once a person has been defined as mentally ill, his or her protests are often discredited or, even worse, labelled one more ‘symptom’ of his or her illness.”

I have – for a very long time tried to reconcile with someone who hurt me years ago. I needed to do that to find peace – to forget. But he would never admit that he had wronged me. It would have been so good to have my offers of forgiveness accepted.

But what I quote from Thornicroft’s book above proved to be so true.

How should you respond when someone who caused you suffering as the result of months of emotional abuse tells you “your perspective and perception may be clouded by your mood disorder and may not line up with reality.”

No consideration given to the professionals who treated me and who have no doubt in their minds that the abuse truly happened. No consideration given to the fact that my husband was afraid to leave me alone, afraid that traumatic memories would appear, once more bringing me close to suicide.

That’s what it is to have a mental illness. That’s what it is to be discriminated against. You’re no longer considered a real person. You’re claimed to have imagined it all.

But he’s safe. After all, who would believe me?

I have overcome anger for my personal pain  (I think). But I can’t help being angry on behalf of the many suffering from mental health problems. Discrimination like this hurts more than the illness itself.

marja