Carrie Fisher has done much to try to break down the barriers and negative attitudes surrounding mental illness. She openly discusses her bipolar condition and the cures she has found. Her desire is to help the public along with those who are mentally il, tol view this illness as an illness with the main point being:
- Mental illness is an illness. People are not to blame as they are born with the chemical imbalance that creates the illness. The mentally ill person needs to fully accept their condition; and as with other illnesses, it needs treatment for both the person's sake who has the disease, and also for those in the person's life. They deserve better.
People who state "it is just the way I am" are not fully accepting their condition. They are in denial. Chances are, if they are adults, they have been given feedback from those around them who love them, that their behavior is not acceptable. The feedback could be in the form of direct statements such as "stop trying to control everything" or indirect statements. The mentally ill need to trust the feedback and seek help. They need to accept their condition, and understand they were born with a chemical imbalance that creates the mental illness. It is nothing to be ashamed of. They deserve best from themselves. They deserve lower levels of anxiety, less of need to control what they can not control, fewer mood swings, etc. They need to give themselves the gift of professional help.
Fight on Carrie Fisher and thank you for the work you are doing!
