Mental Health - Personal Struggles Our Society Recovery and Well-Being Stigma of Mental Health

Walk Away

By: Liz Hardie

At what point do you finally walk away from the harsh words, pain, misunderstanding

To walk away from people who have said they will support you, but words and actions show different

You have never used your past traumas for attention or a way to have others feel bad for you

Hiding those secrets is what you chose for many years, now some want an explanation on your way of dealing

It seems some closest to you don’t really want was is best for you, they want what works for them

You may have been working on yourself, changing some things to better your life, yet it doesn’t fit their mold

Never feeling your emotional and physical pain, they must not understand it either, feeling you should easily move on

To hear those words from a confidant, “just get over it and move on”, is heartbreaking, never thought your life they’d condemn

Being told your mental health hurts people and is just being used as a crutch, how dare someone question you, your healing, your way of life

Unfortunately they did just that, they talked about the one thing you had no control over, that has troubled you since you were a child

You are a survivor of your traumas and you are living proof that life goes on, but you also show it takes a toll on you

As much as you would love to forget, it just doesn’t disappear, anything or anyone can trigger you, no matter what you want or what you decide

You can have nightmares, waking you up from a dead sleep, sweating, hyperventilating, crying out

Smells, certain actions, can send you in a tailspin, causing you panic and extremely high anxiety

If they do not know about mental illness, never had therapy, never experienced trauma, been asked for an opinion, they should not give it

Others should have been taught to support trauma survivors and those with mental health issues and trauma survivors, encourage them, never question or doubt

We all have crosses to bear, are own vices that we deal with, so why do some feel it necessary to throw stones

No one has a perfect life and if they say they do they are lying, but we all must live our life the way we choose with the support of our loved ones

Choose what is most important in life; you know the words of many have cut so deep that there is no going back

If saying a “crutch” makes life better and makes others not feel like shit, then that’s ok, obviously their own behavior they condone

You know you do not make excuses for your mental health nor will you you apologize for the way you choose to live to grow and recover

At least there is admittance, if you pull or walk away, there was a reason, it should not hurt them, wouldn’t happen if they would just be supportive

So others say, “it is what it is” and mental health has caused you to be anti-social, rude and even an unkind person

Those need to check themselves before speaking about others lives, others children, others healing, others choices, as we are all equals, their peace they need to discover