confession of the day…
i have mental illness. call it ptsd or depression or anxiety or whatever, but say it respectfully. i have to request that because i have dealt with all the stigma.
being treated like you're a psychopath isn't easy. people who are having trouble with their bipolar disorder meds might not have told anyone at work they even have bipolar issues. instead they'll say they have "another cold" or "food poisoning" or "that bug that's going around". everyone thinks they're either goofing off or a hypochondriac or a weakling.
it's easier to cope with the reputation of a hypochondriac than say we can't keep our eyes open because we're not used to the latest change in medication. isn't that sad? considering just about everyone has emotions and feelings and neurosis, it is really a shame we can't just come out of the closet.
anyway, i haven't really made my confession yet. yes, i have mental illness, but, on top of it, i belong to….
ok, are you ready?
i belong to a club house. Most people probably don't even know what that is, but it doesn't sound like a place where adults hang out, does it? Club houses are places where some people with mental illness go for socializing. They give us the valuable interaction with peers to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. having it out in the open that every member has mental health issues helps a lot. we can stop hiding.
if it were up to me, they wouldn't be called "club houses". i feel like i should have a mickey mouse hat. the term club house is degrading. maybe if we called it "the center" (you know, like they call hangouts for seniors "senior center"). even if it just meant removing the word club and calling it a "house" which is what my club house is in anyway. i don't think i'm in a club, but in a center in a house. you see what i mean?
instead they call it a clubhouse and that just sets us up for more disrespect from the ones who think mentally ill people are dangerous and should be kept in cages (i seriously heard someone say recently, "do they let them out at night?").
even though i don't like the term for the place i hang out at, i have to say it is a huge service to a population with a very specific need. where someone with arthritis might require a cane, people with mental illness often require support to function well. in that respect, i think we members are as valuable as the staff at these places are. sometimes you just need someone to look in your eye and say, "i notice you and i care that you and i are together."
want to learn more about clubhouses or mental illness? here, let me help you with a couple good links:
International Center for Clubhouse Development