Flu is not fun - I'll just point that out now and leave it there.
Now, I've had more than a few issues with health problems of various sorts over the past... ooh, decade or so.
And you know what? As ridiculous as it is, it's got to the point where every time I get a cold, or flu, or some sort of bug, I feel guilty about it.
I kind of blame myself - as illogical as that is. Because people make you feel guilty about it.
I remember having long periods of time off in school as a teenager. Phone-calls from attendance officers just stress you out, making you feel like it's your fault that you're not well enough to be in school (and it's not like my grades were suffering - the lowest I got was normally a B.)
And the other kids? Well, you spend a month in pain, and they expect you to just suck it up and get on with it. Why are you complaining? It's unhelpful, to say the least.
I don't think people do it on purpose.
I think it's just somehow become ingrained in us that people aren't as ill as they say - that, unless they're in hospital, or dying, then they must be doing it for attention. Instead, people are genuinely unwell, genuinely in pain, and genuinely not being helped by your attitude.I think sometimes it feels the same when you talk to people about your mental illness.
So I don't. Because people look at me differently when I tell them I have depression - and not in a kind or sympathetic way.
(Also, as a side note, I approve of the BBC's current 'In the Mind' season of cross-series programmes as a whole.
There are a few instances, though, where even under this banner, the portrayal of mental health problems is misinformed at best.
The trailer for Eastenders (British soap opera) this week showed a mental health nurse telling the character Stacey that she was 'getting stronger... more able to cope.' This line made me hugely angry.
People with a mental illness are not weak. They are already strong.)
Nerd Church is a weekly post where I go off on one about 'issues' of various sorts. Feel free to continue the discussion, but please link back here :)
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I was sick this week too and as much as its relaxing, I get really stressed staying home from school! I liked how you mentioned mental health, I think people need to choose their words more carefully.
ReplyDeleteArgh! Pushing myself to go into school when I was ill as a teenager was just a nightmare - and at the end of the day, your health matters more. I promise. Hope you feel better soon :)
DeleteI really hope you do get better from that flu soon! And I know what you mean as well. For some reason, people do tend to get that impression and sort of blame the person for being ill. And it's horrible missing school - sometimes it feels more like a punishment than anything else when you have to catch back up on returning as well as be 100% better when most times people are still recovering a bit...
ReplyDeleteThanks v much :) And yeah.. I had a lot of experiences of that I'm afraid. What happens when you're a sickly teenager unfortunately. My advice though? Stressing over it isn't worth it - no matter how important it feels at the time.
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