I wouldn't be true to myself if I left that complex introduction as a proposed story confined within the boundaries of a forum thread, especially within a Mental Health forum such as this. I understand that we all face challenges, regardless of the labels or narratives we carry. It begs the question: What is the true cost of success? How often do we find ourselves silenced when presenting uncomfortable truths in a world that obsessively emphasizes showcasing only the very best? How frequently does this path lead us to feeling like failures?

I mean not to suggest or influence with that line of query. I require no answers but merely question the questions we are so often presented with and or present to ourselves. Any point I may have made in the previous post stands well enough for me. This is just another take that contrasts a language that fails to register for many. All those very-best-of images used to sell this or that service with rose colored narratives that present less of the truth than does the reality of one’s experience.

The notion of being 'cured' is yet another fallacy that lacks resonance, instead casting a shadow and dismissing the individual at their very essence when promoted through campaigns that prioritize serving the agenda rather than validating their assertions.

If you find yourself getting lost in this text, I encourage you to revisit the previous paragraph, as each paragraph builds upon the other. It may seem self-explanatory, but many of us who are entangled in the shadows require such prompts. I’m undoubtedly casting my own shadows, which is why I take this moment to reflect not only on my doubts but also that of others.

Now is actually a good time for me to take pause before I flesh out my so-called story. Forgive me as I laugh out loud. Yet another fallacy, but hey, why not entertain another fantasy? Rhetorical … no need to answer. I’ll do that in my next post where I’ll end off with acceptance and that it’s OK not to be cured, not to succeed; at least not in terms as it’s commonly sold.

As a representative, I have had the opportunity to sit among many tables in multiple seminars. However, even in those settings, I have often found myself misunderstood. This adds another layer of context to the above and whatever I impart next.

This ‘story’ is not one size fits all. None of them ever really are, although they do try hard to cater to one type of image ...

To be continued …