One of the weirdest times of your life is when you do things that you can’t explain. You are gripped with powerful emotions for no reason at all. You spend days in bed and still feel exhausted. Or, you can’t sleep at all because you feel too jazzed. You see yourself doing dangerous behaviors like suddenly stealing, picking up strangers at a bar or walking in the middle of railway tracks and yet you can’t stop your body from doing it.

And suddenly it hits you — you may be mentally ill. Now what do you do?

You Get Help

If you suspect you may have a mental illness, please focus on the last word of that phrase — illness. Many mental illnesses are physical in root causes and not a flaw of your character or a sign of demonic possession. You’d go get help for the flu or for cancer, so why not get help for another illness? You won’t get locked up as in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Even if you are convinced that nobody in the world can help you, go for that doctor’s appointment anyway.

Changing Labels

Illnesses such as major depression or bipolar disorder are metal illnesses. However, our perception of mental illness is that a person is somehow evil or flawed or just plain lazy. There is also a controversy among British psychiatrists that American psychiatrists over-diagnose mental illnesses, especially among children.

But many people with mental illness get through life as a productive, caring and mostly reliable citizen. These include celebrities such as British pop star Robbie Williams, actress Carrie Fisher and British actor and comedian Stephen Fry. And me, too.

So, in conclusion, facing a possible diagnosis of a mental illness is not the end of the world. You won’t be helpless, you’re not alone and things can get better.

Hope this helps.

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