A Note on Mental Health

The good thing about getting properly diagnosed for one’s neuro-atypicality is that it explains a lot of things about you and why things happen in your brain — and you’re not left alone to flail about thinking you’re just crazy or lazy, and you’re unique and everything’s your fault. Like, why am I triggered to anxiety with emails and phone calls? Why the debilitating panic attacks? What's the deal with suicide ideation? Why do I give long background answers to simple questions? Why do I tend to disappear when the going gets tough, when all I can do is open up about my difficulties and misgivings? For the longest time, I thought it was just me. And then when I got diagnosed with Adult ADHD, I found out many of my frailties actually spring from that disorder. And because I now know they are symptoms, and not character traits, I can actually find ways to work around these mental tendencies and still function superbly. [For example, I have someone I trust answer most of my messages for me, especially requests. The buffer helps disperse the feeling of being overloaded.] But it takes effort to arrive at that juncture of one’s mental health journey: going for help and finding the best psychiatrist suited for you is already a difficult but significant first step. [People with ADHD find it hard to seek help.] Navigating one’s relationship with meds and therapy is another. But I’ve learned to process things more now because I know why my brain acts in a certain way, and knowing is what matters most. So go and find help if you feel you need it! Let’s break the taboo about talking about our mental health.