Miscellaneous
This one is probably going to be a pretty uncomfortable episode as I delve into so inconvenient truths about the mental health industry.From my experience both working in and living with mental health for several years now representation of how things really are in mental health are rare.We take partisan views on it, one side saying EVERYONE with mental health is attention seeking, dangerous or manipulative, the other side saying that absolutely NO ONE is like that.The truth is that so long as we continue to use these generalisations to define "the other side" (and so long as there are righteous supporters on boths sides of the aisle) the stigma can never truly go.People with mental health issues are people first and foremost, with the same rights, entitlements, tendencies and possibilities as any other person. The vast majority of people with mental health issues (just like the vast majority of people without) are good, honest people. However just like a person without mental health issues could be dangerous, attention seeking or maniuplative, so too can a person with mental health issues.The problem is that this does not conform to the narrative a large portion of the mental health industry wants us to believe. However I also believe that by trying to uphold that narrative, a narrative that is false, this further contributes to the stigma.