Depression. Social Suicide.
For every pillow wet with tears, for every blunted Stanley knife blade, every empty vodka bottle and every prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors there is some twat that thinks depression is a tool for social manipulation.
For every person that immaculately covers their cuts, someone else is showing them off. Wearing self-harm like the latest ironic pop statement trivialises and patronises the thousands to which it is a survival mechanism. Self-abuse is not a social activity, more lonely than masturbation, it despises, not glamorises those around it.
'Bipolar Disorder' is everyday speak, the ultimate excuse, the most effective weapon. Yet, it takes years to properly diagnose. A 1992 survey of individuals with bipolar disorder reported that 19% had attempted suicide within the previous year with varying success rates. Either way, that is an alarmingly high mortality rate.
So, I ask myself why pretend to have a life threatening illness?
Would you diagnose yourself with diabetes and not think to visit a doctor, leaving the 'illness' untreated but using it as a crutch when necessary?
This is not a fad for the thousands that take their daily medication in order to lead a normal life. Complete understanding of the illness is the key to living with it. Years of self-discovery through whatever form; be it therapy or life experience, will make life manageable.
Moments of insensitivity and downright nastiness cannot be excused with the creation of a convenient mental disorder. Sympathy cannot be bought through spite.
You punch me in the face and as I run, bleeding, you tell me that it's not your fault. When personal loathing becomes your weapon, you do have a problem. Perhaps you are as messed up as you would like to be.
When people throw depression in my face I spit it right back out at them. I may break your heart but I will not and will never be the one to leave scars on your arms.
I want to put my arms around the people whose suffering has been stamped upon by a generation who've run out of excuses.
For every pillow wet with tears, for every blunted Stanley knife blade, every empty vodka bottle and every prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors there is some twat that thinks depression is a tool for social manipulation.
For every person that immaculately covers their cuts, someone else is showing them off. Wearing self-harm like the latest ironic pop statement trivialises and patronises the thousands to which it is a survival mechanism. Self-abuse is not a social activity, more lonely than masturbation, it despises, not glamorises those around it.
'Bipolar Disorder' is everyday speak, the ultimate excuse, the most effective weapon. Yet, it takes years to properly diagnose. A 1992 survey of individuals with bipolar disorder reported that 19% had attempted suicide within the previous year with varying success rates. Either way, that is an alarmingly high mortality rate.
So, I ask myself why pretend to have a life threatening illness?
Would you diagnose yourself with diabetes and not think to visit a doctor, leaving the 'illness' untreated but using it as a crutch when necessary?
This is not a fad for the thousands that take their daily medication in order to lead a normal life. Complete understanding of the illness is the key to living with it. Years of self-discovery through whatever form; be it therapy or life experience, will make life manageable.
Moments of insensitivity and downright nastiness cannot be excused with the creation of a convenient mental disorder. Sympathy cannot be bought through spite.
You punch me in the face and as I run, bleeding, you tell me that it's not your fault. When personal loathing becomes your weapon, you do have a problem. Perhaps you are as messed up as you would like to be.
When people throw depression in my face I spit it right back out at them. I may break your heart but I will not and will never be the one to leave scars on your arms.
I want to put my arms around the people whose suffering has been stamped upon by a generation who've run out of excuses.
VIEW 9 of 9 COMMENTS
Sending you love
xxx
I think there are two kinds of self harmers- those who do it for show and those who have genuine problems.
I was always in the latter catagory and got out through changing my perspective rather than seeing 'experts'.
I've worked on self harm support groups and know a lot of people with genuine problems. Unfortunately those who do it for show give those who don't a bad name.
Plus there's an awful lot of mis-diagnosis out there. There are people who self harm who are on drugs for conditions they clearly don't have, just because there's little recognition of this being a genuine disorder on its own, so they get thrown into another camp.
Of course this just makes it all worse...
And I don't really have time for people who self harm for show then cry that they have problems. If they really had those problems, letting anybody else know would be the last thing they'd do.
Oh well...