truly madly deeply x

would just like to say that the stigma associated with any form of mental illness is a terrible thing, for anyone suffering from any kind of physical or mental illness that does not show, has no obvious outward signs, and the struggle every day against the opinions of others, and their failure to understand, I salute you all, us all.. It's very difficult for another person to understand where you are coming from though, so give them patience, see it from their perspective, from their point of view, it is very hard to put themselves in your shoes, almost impossible because we are us, and they are them. To get a diagnosis actually can be a terrible thing because from then on you are labelled as one thing or another, permanently on your records, others can then be notified who need to know, some people wish to get a diagnosis, because it gives them the confidence to know what it is that they are facing. Personally I would like to understand what it is I have gone through, but the provision just doesn't seem to be there, unless you want to get yourself sectioned, or have the money to pay to see a selection of professionals until you can get some kind of understanding between you as to what has occurred, and what is ongoing.

Taken from a level above mere diagnosis, I love the way that the group on facebook 'the shamanic view of mental illness' sees all mental aberration of one kind or another as a spiritual growth, as the birth of a healer, in terms of people surviving and learning and healing themselves, and going on to use their knowledge to help and heal others. Personally again, I only have my own experience, and experiences to go on, but the last three years have been incredibly cathartic, opened me up in ways that I could never be anything but grateful for, even though I now see myself more clearly than ever before, have had to accept facets of myself that I had disowned, life will never be the same, I cling to the spiritual aspects and go on to the solstice at avebury knowing I have learnt a lot in a short time, not all of it nice mind you.

Whether a true experience or not I do hope to give my life in the service of my fellow beings, as i was told I would, whether physically, mentally, spiritually x