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So, all in all, I'm okay now. A lot better, at least. Mental illnesses SUCK. A lot of us have them, and many - far, far too many - suffer in silence, likely out of fear of losing opportunities or garnering negative attention because said illnesses are so often misunderstood.
Mental illnesses exist on a spectrum. There are absolutely debilitating variants, there are those that let you function, there are those that are often not noticeable unless you know the person suffering from them. But they are all there, and they are all valid.
If someone chooses to confide in you that they suffer from a mental illness - or if they're neurodivergent, or both - you should feel special. This person trusts you to do something quite difficult: Listen. Listen, and don't diminish. Don't try to pass it off as a joke.
Be humble in the face of differing experiences. What can destroy one person utterly, rendering them unable to function for perhaps days at a time, might seem completely trivial to you. But that does not invalidate the experiences of others.
Be kind, be gentle, be open-minded, and remember not to judge. Try to understand.
Anyway. Thanks for uh, coming to this unprompted TED talk. I guess if you feel strongly about this, RT the thread to help spread awareness. #MentalHealthAwareness #neurodiversesquad #depression
