So the general rule of thumb when it comes to mental illnesses or issues is that they inhibit function of the individual in one way or another. Naturally, that means that the vast majority of people with some type of mental illness exhibit those symptoms in a way that prevents them from doing what people without mental illnesses should be able to do. Of course, the manifestation of issues vastly differs from person to person. This also creates a category of people who are "high-functioning". Outwardly, they appear to not be struggling with anything or at least much, but in reality, they are fighting their own issues.
Now, I am someone who is high-functioning. I will not be delving into what I do not understand. I won't be talking about not being able to get up in the morning, for example. By no means do I wish to undercut the struggles of those who are not high-functioning with their mental illnesses or issues. This is what I have recognized.
First, those who are high-functioning are constantly invalidated. They are easily invalidated too. After all, how is one to say they have social anxiety if they appear very friendly and confident? How is one to say they have depression if they're always smiling and working well? There's an aspect of competitiveness within mental illness, and high-functioning individuals will lose the competition. This competition of "who is the sickest" is not good by any means, and it affects many dealing with mental issues. Oftentimes, being high-functioning means losing the competition and subsequently feeling like they are "faking it". I do not mean to say that only high-functioning individuals feel this way, but it is an unfortunately natural part of being this type of person.
This sort of invalidation and feeling of "not being sick enough" can lead to a whole other batch of issues, understandably. Gatekeeping is a huge issue in mental illnesses, and due to high-functioning types of individuals being marginalized (there are not as many and receive less attention), the negative effects can be exacerbated. Similarly, the attempts to prevent frivolous self-diagnosis can often exclude individuals who do not exhibit symptoms in the most common ways. This most often affects high-functioning individuals. While people who "fake it" do exist, that is going to happen regardless of the push back. The lack of exposure that high-functioning mental illness gets is incredibly detrimental and can lead to so much pain for many people.
This can even lead to resentment in some cases—I've certainly felt it. When those around me who have mental illness but are not high-functioning hear about my problems, they immediately brush it off precisely because I am high-functioning. Just because I am able to get work done on time doesn't mean I don't have problems. Society has conditioned people into stereotyping mental illnesses to the point that even those who are struggling manage to invalidate others. It goes both ways, though. High-functioning individuals can feel that their illness cannot be used as an "excuse" while for others, it can. While the vast majority of mentally ill people legitimately cannot do some things, there are arguably some who utilize their illness as a crutch just because they can—it can especially be seen with getting work done or treating people well. Not only can high-functioning individuals not "get away" with excuses because they outwardly appear fine, but they often cannot even bring up the excuses because they would suffer a psychological toll from doing that. Again, this is not referring to those who legitimately cannot do things due to their illness but about people who do "pretend" or use their illness or even status as a crutch (because let's face it—there are people out there like that, and you can tell).
To overcome these things, understanding and awareness is vital. People should not have to fight for validation, regardless of how they function with their mental illness.
Comments
Post a Comment