Many
disabled people's disabilities are
mental
health
needs, or have MH needs comorbidly with their disability. For
instance,
UNICEF
reported that “one
chronic physical health condition... significantly increases the
likelihood of another physical health condition and mental health
conditions.” The
lines blur.
I
cannot be invisible. I went public about my hospitalization and the
fury I felt at Obama and Tim Murphy's scapegoating. It is my hope
that there will be one day a world where people can share their
stories without stigma, without shame, without fear, without the
police mocking the person they had brought into the ER in a MH
crisis. It will not be easy. I shared my story because I want there
to be a safer world for this, regardless of my personal reputation.
With so much stigma, it is hard for other people to share theirs.
Our
treatment is supposed to be invisible, our suffering silent, our
hospitalizations a secret, shameful and hidden. Many dislike it or
feel uncomfortable when we talk out loud about our lived experiences
and our suffering and our treatment. When we are visibly having MH
needs or in distress, when we are loud about our experiences, we
upset people. The disabled community that professes to be proud of
different bodies and minds does those of us with mental health needs
a disservice.
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