This will be the last depressing quote for this week- I promise. I just wanted to write about it because it's something I contemplate a lot and I don't think I've ever actually written about... it's almost a passing thought that I've never bothered to write down before it escapes. Well, no more! I have an accurate quote to ground me, so here are my thoughts.
I definitely agree with this quote- people definitely take more pity on you or at least treat you more accordingly when they can see visually that you are in pain. It is obvious that you wouldn't hit a person with a broken arm in the arm... because you would be able to clearly see that they were hurt. Knowing this, you wouldn't want to put them in any more pain than they already are in. The same logic can apply to those who are sick- usually it's quite easy to tell if someone is sick by how they look. With mental illness, however- visual aids are often not offered. In extreme cases, yes- you may be able to tell if someone is struggling with an eating disorder, or even self harm... but the mind is not visible and the place where the suffering is most endured is invisible to everyone else but the person suffering. 350,000,000 people worldwide suffer from depression... and yet some people can try to reach out for help and be ignored. Often-times, those who suffer are belittled or labeled as "attention-seeking" when they try to reach out. Simply because there is no physical evidence of damage, mental illness is easily over-looked and under-estimated. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US currently... with over 44,000 lives per year being claimed by it. For every suicide, there are 25 people who have attempted. It's terrifying that even with the advances in medicine, technology, and psychiatric studies depression and so many other illnesses are over-looked or ignored. Don't let a lack of physical evidence stop you from making sure people are okay. Because by the time there IS physical evidence... it may be too late. - Maddie
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