Clear away the stigma associated with mental illness...

Clear away the stigma associated with mental illness •

Hey there. You know? Some people have chronic mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder — and some have complex disorders such as borderline personality and antisocial personality — and these can be easy to stigmatize when we neither understand them, nor know how to interact with the sufferers.

However, we may be surprised to know that 20% of people experience some degree of anxiety, 300 million people experience depression, and 95% of people experience intrusive thoughts — that is pretty much everyone. These circumstances can disrupt and limit the lives of some when they get out of hand. And that is pretty much it. That is the gist of it. Nothing very strange about that.

If we struggle with these, there is help out there. There are ways we can balance the chemicals in our brains to bring about euthymia and equilibrium. There is no need for us to suffer. At least one chemical — pharmaceutical or herbal — will work for each of us, and will bring about true calm within. Find that chemical, take it for an allotted period of time, and never stop taking it.

And there we have it, a recipe for success when we feel as if the enemy is in our own heads. And no, prayer and positive thoughts do not make mental illness disappear.

I wish us all great discernment. •

One line poem from Acres of Shadow
© Aisha Tariqa Abdul Haqq Publishing
Follow @AishaTariqa for more original poetry, inspiration, and merchandise. •