Many members of society need our compassion, not scorn or mocking.

[NCTraveler]

Mental illness is extremely serious and should never be mocked, ridiculed, or laughed at. Never.

Drug addiction is extremely serious and should never be mocked, ridiculed, or laughed at. Never.

Each time someone with a mental illness or drug addiction is mocked or ridiculed it fortifies the acceptance of cruelty and complete lack of concern for others. It is extremely cold hearted and is based in ignorance and a lack of compassion.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I hate it when I see people shitting on those in society who need our compassion most. When one makes a comment about a drug addict or someone with a mental illness in a mocking manner, they are doing so to all with addictions or mental illness.

Thanks for your time.

[pipi_k]

1. Often I wonder

how to make people understand how serious and painful mental illness is.

Or how totally wrong people are to think that addiction is a character flaw.


The only way I can think of is to give people a dose of what I go through each day with depression and anxiety/panic disorders.


I also wish there were some way to inflict some kind of addiction on those who think that only weak minded people have addictions.


Here...walk a stinking mile in someone else's shoes for a week or two, then come back and pass judgement.


Of course, that's not possible, so the only thing left is to educate people the best way we can and hope that someday, even if they never "get it", at least they'll stop being assholes.

[NCTraveler]

2. Thank you for your response.

When people scoff at addiction or mental illness it bothers me so much. When written on this board it makes me angry. There are amazing and strong people on du who suffer from addiction/mental illness. The comments made have to be taken personally by them as they are by me. It hurts and drives people into the darkness to deal with it on their own as they know a huge group of people think they are broken and either can't be helped or aren't worth it.

Someone in my life recently hit the magic prescription and dosages to treat their bipolar and anxiety. This was after sixteen years of failed attempts. Most of the people in their life gave up on them and decided that it was just who they are. This person has been tormented by their own mind since childhood. The dosage and meds they are now on are actually way safer than many of the things docs have given them in the past. It is a dream come true. I made a promise to this person a long time ago as they felt their family had abandoned them. I promised that I would be with them the whole way, that I am strong enough to help them through there manic episodes for life if necessary, that all my efforts would be focused on making sure that wasn't actually going to be necessary, and that my love for them doesn't stop on the more difficult days. This is one of the strongest people I have ever met. People need to understand, a temporary break from the chaos in their head is their dream. Very few of us simply dream of having a day where we don't want to hurt ourselves or feel emotions so strong that we need to be sedated in some manner. This person is currently living that dream. Yet the battle will be lifelong.

[Orsino]

3. +1

Leave the giggling, solipsistic elitism to that other web site.

[NCTraveler]

4. Thank you for the reply and the vocabulary lesson.

solipsism - a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing; also : extreme egocentrism

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solipsism