The judging of the mentally ill
“Depression is psychological homelessness.”
This quote popped up on my timeline today. And I thought about how true it is—that when we don’t have a home, a sanctuary, a safe place, a safe harbor from the storm, but one within our mind—that is depression. Psychological homelessness.
I think that description could also apply to PTSD and C-PTSD, BPD, OCD, schizophrenia and so many other mental illnesses.
Essentially, we don’t feel safe within our minds; we experience homelessness in our psyche and to/with ourselves. As someone who has experienced that, I often feel that—there is little worse than feeling out of place, uneasy, unwell, and not at home in your mind.
Our minds are supposed to be our safe space, our sanctuary, where we can have safety and peace. And when that’s not there, it can be downright terrifying.
Being at war with your mind, when it becomes your adversary rather than a recognizable friend. And instead, a foe—it’s exhausting. It’s scary.
And it can be a very, very dark place.
That’s hard for some to grasp, and yet, again, in manner of humility, if that is inconceivable to you—rather than judging another as weaker in mind or character, perhaps give a humble thanks that it is not your reality.
How much better would the world be if we could just give others the benefit of the doubt, that their experiences are their own and validated…or perhaps, that we don’t need to legitimize or stamp our recognition or approval on them, rather than apply our own standards of norms/inherent judgment?