On Mental Health

I have a huge problem with people who glamourize and joke about certain situations and claim they're going through it just to seem quirky or "different". Maybe because I've lived through some terrible episodes but it grinds my gears when people make jokes about mental health. Right now, the world is moving towards being better at handling mental health issues. We're not there yet but we're inching closer. As a matter of fact, my country is barely scratching the surface. Unfortunately, a lot of people think mental health disorders are a fad or just a mood and not real illnesses that require treatment.

The other day, I walked by someone in a store who said things had to be arranged a certain way on a shelf because she's "OCD like that *tee-hee*". First of all, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as well as countless other mental health disorders are not something to play about. These are very serious disorders that in very serious cases claim the lives of their sufferers. People living through these issues are facing so much daily especially in a climate that constantly shuts them down.

There's a constant trend of claiming anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and even depression just to ride a wave or seem different from everybody else. Making light of the issues people face makes it difficult for them to get proper help or be taken seriously. Several people do not understand what exactly is happening to them and are afraid to speak up because it would either end with them being made fun of or seen as crazy or locked up somewhere getting "delivered". It also hurts when they see people making jokes about something they are seriously suffering and can barely contain. 

It is not a crime to feel these things but when you don't, please don't turn someone else's pain into a trend or a joke or an aesthetic. To help, connect them to organizations, for example; Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (https://www.mhinnovation.net/organisations/mentally-aware-nigeria-initiative), that offers assistance and counseling to those who need it.