[djclark01]

It is easy to just see the downsides of mental illness. Of course, we will never be one of the "normals" but it doesn't mean that we don't have gifts that they may not have. I feel that in life, no one gets everything. I feel that there are very few people that are super-intelligent and super-physical for example or super-sensitive and super-powerful. No one person every gets everything. It's just not how we are built.

A lot of people with mental disorders that I run into have incredible gifts. They are highly intelligent, a lot of them are writers and have critical insight into society and all though many of us don't have the social life others have, we can use our intelligence, sensitivity and unique perspective to help us negotiate our way through the world.

Mental disorders by their nature undermine self-esteem, self-worth, make us feel regret and like everything we do is wrong. That's a fact. The mental apparatus just causes us to feel bad a lot of the time. And if that isn't enough, society wants to reinforce that picture.

What I am trying to say here is that we with mental disorders have much to be proud of. A lot of people with mental disorders are smarter and better people than those that don't have mental disorders or at the very least have gifts that others will never have.

I am not trying to make anyone's head to big here. I am simply reminding everyone here that they have nothing to be ashamed of and much to be proud of. The hell with what other people think. Maybe we will never be masters of the world but that doesn't mean that we don't have a right to feel good about ourselves and that we are just as important as anyone else.

[Quarter life]

Hey djclark01.

I agree 100% with what you are saying. Everyday we need to keep an eagle eye out for that spark, that way to contribute, that kind word to say...even when all those around us keep telling us that we just aren't quite good enough.

[kitten55]

I was reminded yesterday by my psychiatrist that although I have given up on work and all of my creative endeavors, I am still a "wounded healer."

[djclark01]

Personal growth is an important thing.