Every time society shames you for showing intense painful emotions like shame, separation anxiety, jealousy, fear, vulnerability etc. it is killing an important part of your emotional self. When we are not allowed to feel and express a wide range of negative emotions we either repress them or use unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with the stress of painful emotions. The result is a generation having a variety of mental illnesses.
The coping strategy taught by society is bulls*** in the name of motivation i.e. think positive, if your present is depressing then live for the future, strive for achievement, do not be afraid, work hard, imagine better future, be hopeful, keep smiling, be strong etc. At the same time society divides people into normal and abnormal.
The tragedy is that when a person wants to talk about their mental illness, it makes normal people uncomfortable. People are clueless in the face of mental illness. The reason people are uncomfortable talking about suicide, obsessive compulsive disorder, anorexia, depression, phobia, schizophrenia etc. is that they are themselves running away from their own repressed emotions, compulsive behaviours, secret addictions and painful memories. This is the reason why society likes to hide mental illnesses under the carpet.
Society is judgemental. That’s how it works. It judges people who are emotionally expressive as weak. It punishes vulnerability with coldness and judgement. This is the reason people with mental illness do not come out and seek help, love and support.
The cure of mental illnesses lies in making hurt and vulnerability acceptable to feel. Everyone should feel comfortable in expressing negative emotions like sadness, jealousy, shame, fear, bitterness, anger etc. This can only happen in an environment of empathy and zero judgement. It is time to start validating negative emotions too.
VALIDATION! VALIDATION! VALIDATION!
