“My most rewarding experiences online have been people reaching out and expressing how little old me sharing my story of mental illness helped them feel less alone”
Erin Louise
Creator of kushty
Ever since I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had multiple inpatient admissions in 2013 I have used various platforms online to raise awareness of mental illness e.g. YouTube and Instagram. A lot of people at the time thought I was “crazy” for sharing and I received comments such as “Shouldn’t you keep this private” and “Did you share for attention”.
But this only spurred me to continue talking as these are discussions we all need to have. We all have mental health as humans with brains! 1 in 5 are affected by mental illness of some kind. If anyone doesn’t look after their mental health, anyone can develop a mental illness.
I think it’s essential for me and others with mental health conditions to talk, we can’t let our voices be silenced or lost. There also needs to be diversity in the conversation, different experiences and perspectives from all ages, races, genders etc. We can’t just hear about mental health from one experience or only from professionals in a scientific way, we also need to hear from those living with mental illnesses.
Everyone’s experience is different and the more we talk the more we can all understand and be supportive. Us mentally ill are struggling and experiencing the stigma firsthand hand and for real change to happen we must share our stories and give those not affected an insight into what it’s like so they can empathise, understand and make a change.
I feel like the general population is more aware and accepting of certain mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression in the UK but I worry certain disorders such as my diagnosis (bipolar disorder type 1 and complex PTSD) are being forgotten so I will continue to share my story.
I can hear voices and hallucinate and have experienced severe psychosis, dissociation etc and when people witness this or hear this they act shocked and the only way I can describe what I see on their faces is fear. I think they fear the unknown and associate psychosis with negative portrayals and representations in the media.
My most rewarding experiences online have been people reaching out and expressing how little old me sharing my story of mental illness helped them feel less alone. That makes the shame and embarrassment I feel when sharing all worth it, even if it’s just one person who can relate to my story and feel less alone and more supported then it’s worth it for me! x
Leave a Reply