Mental instability and the stigma associated with it.

Is the stigma associated with mental disorders warranted? It's a question I ask myself often. Approximately half of North America's population has been diagnosed with some form of mental disorder. These disorders range from anxiety, to bipolar disorder, to schizophrenia. It was only after I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder myself that I learned just how many personality disorders exist. In a day and age where nothing is sacred and few topics are taboo, the mention of any sort of mental instability still makes people cringe. Admitting to anyone but your close friends and immediate family that you suffer from schizophrenia essentially means social death. You could be the most likable person in the world, but if the general public finds out that you don't have all your ducks in a row, you are effectively fucked.

A bad stigma is born from three things: ignorance, intolerance, and fear. Are these stigmas ever warranted? There are times when it seems like it. You see paranoid schizophrenics on the street, and if one of your family members or close friends gets diagnosed with it, you can't help but cringe and pray that it's not really happening. The same goes for bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and any number of other mental "illnesses". Some people go so far as to go into a state of denial when such a diagnosis is made so that they can just ignore whatever difficulties the people they claim to love may be experiencing. It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go to avoid dealing with problems. Granted, I can't really blame people in some cases. Many people with bipolar disorder can be verbally or even physically abusive when experiencing mania or depression. People with OCD can be just plain impossible to live with at times. When you meet a person who has been diagnosed with multiple disorders, you can't help but cringe a little.

What a lot of people don't seem to realize is that people with mental "illnesses" are often some of the most brilliant, creative people you'll ever meet. Robin Williams exhibits all the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Albert Einstein showed many symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome. I know of someone who suffers from both bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorder, and not only is he one of the most intelligent people I know, he is without a doubt one of the most likable people I've ever met. I like him a lot better than many of my "stable" aquaintances. It is instances like these that make me question the validity of the general fear of people whose brains are wired differently.

There are two sides to every coin. There is a silver lining behind every cloud. Before you judge someone, I recommend you take a while to get to know him without letting whatever challenges he may have to deal with affect your opinion of him. You may just be pleasantly surprised. Hell, he may end up being your best friend.