The independent news organization of Duke University
Even the more “common” mental health struggles like anxiety and depression are downplayed under the guise of Tumblr-esque self-care treatment methods like bubble baths and tea drinking breaks.
Oftentimes it is not just thoughts and diagnoses that affect our mental health. It is also our circumstances.
I hope there comes a day when we can learn to stop listening to those who continue to doubt whether I and others living with mental illness are truly struggling.
We must support others while keeping in mind their autonomy, facilitating their own journey towards a place of self-understanding and fulfillment. After all, we are more than a puzzle to be solved, a project to be fixed. We are human.