Just Be happy!
Just smile!
Be happy!
Others have it worse!
Look at it differently!
Just do the things that make you happy!
It cant be that bad!
Be grateful, your doing good, you have cool stuff and friends! No reason to be sad!
Be happy!
Others have it worse!
Look at it differently!
Just do the things that make you happy!
It cant be that bad!
Be grateful, your doing good, you have cool stuff and friends! No reason to be sad!
All those short sentences above—I have heard them over and over again.
Why? Because I have mental health issues.
Then why do I post a middle finger right after it?
Here’s why:
Why? Because I have mental health issues.
Then why do I post a middle finger right after it?
Here’s why:
- Just smile: Faking a smile will not cure me; it makes it even worse. When my exterior does not match my interior, I feel it. It makes me feel (more) insecure, underlines my bad feelings, and sends my emotions on a rollercoaster with multiple loops and corkscrews. It forces my brain into overdrive just to hide my true feelings. So go fuck yourself with “just smile.”
- Be happy: You really think I haven’t tried that? To look inside, find that one gram of happiness, and expand it?
If I could be happy at that moment, don’t you think I would? Do you honestly believe I choose this? I invite you to live in my head—or someone else’s with mental health issues—for just a day. Then answer that question. If we knew how to feel happy, we would. - Others have it worse: I know. Compare me to someone in a warzone, or someone starving to death. In both cases, I have it much better. But why compare me to others? Do my feelings not count? Is my existence invalid just because others have it worse than me? This is my life, my world, my experience—not someone else’s. So there’s no need to compare me to those whose lives are worse than mine.
- Look at it differently: Just like with “be happy,” do you really think I haven’t tried that? I have looked at it from the left, right, top, bottom. I’ve examined it from a distance, up close, under a microscope, through the Hubble telescope—and no matter what angle I use, I still have these feelings. I still feel down. I still can’t motivate myself to do anything.
- Just do the things that make you happy: I do. But when a low hits, even the most enjoyable things seem mundane and boring. I love the game Prison Architect, for example—I usually build good-looking, well-functioning prisons. But when a low hits, my prisons turn ugly, violent, and drug-ridden. Why? Because I make stupid rookie mistakes. I don’t care. I get no enjoyment from building that prison, so why bother with the details? And it’s not just gaming that loses its joy:
Pyrography? Meh, don’t really care for it.
Nature? Meh, don’t really care for it.
Reading? Meh, don’t really care for it.
Going for a walk? Meh, don’t really care for it.
Listening to music? Meh, don’t really care for it. - It can’t be that bad: Oh, you’re totally right! Poof! issues gone. Read number 3 again—you’re basically saying the same thing.
- Be grateful. You’re doing good. You have cool stuff and friends! No reason to be sad:
Besides my mental health issues, yes, I’m doing good. I have a roof over my head, loving parents, amazing friends, a great cat, a decent job, and some money in the bank. And yeah, I have cool stuff--that’s why I bought it.
But does that mean I don’t experience these feelings? Of course not. Just because I’ve covered the basics doesn’t mean I’m immune to mental health issues.
I also know that the people spouting these phrases at me do so because they mean well. But I’m asking you--think before you say something like that.
The person you’re saying this to has most likely already tried multiple ways to improve their quality of life, such as therapy or medication. I know I certainly have. I’ve had my fair share of psychologists—some helped partially, while others completely missed the mark.
I tried medication and had a horrible experience with it. I tried marijuana—that one worked. But did it cure me? No. I will most likely have this for the rest of my life.
The person you’re saying this to has most likely already tried multiple ways to improve their quality of life, such as therapy or medication. I know I certainly have. I’ve had my fair share of psychologists—some helped partially, while others completely missed the mark.
I tried medication and had a horrible experience with it. I tried marijuana—that one worked. But did it cure me? No. I will most likely have this for the rest of my life.
Are there things you can do or say? That depends on the person with mental health issues. But for me, yes—there are certainly some things you can do or say.
One of my friends is a master at it. Some time ago, he asked me to hang out, and I told him I wasn’t feeling okay and would rather just sit by myself and mindlessly watch YouTube. He told me we could do that together, in silence.
So he came over. We watched YouTube in silence. Then he left. And I felt a bit better.
Why? Just because he was there for me. It showed me that he cares, that I matter in his life. And when a low hits, that means the world to me.
He knows he can’t fix it, but he also knows that just sitting there, in silence, is helping. Words are just words—actions speak louder.
Ever forward!
One of my friends is a master at it. Some time ago, he asked me to hang out, and I told him I wasn’t feeling okay and would rather just sit by myself and mindlessly watch YouTube. He told me we could do that together, in silence.
So he came over. We watched YouTube in silence. Then he left. And I felt a bit better.
Why? Just because he was there for me. It showed me that he cares, that I matter in his life. And when a low hits, that means the world to me.
He knows he can’t fix it, but he also knows that just sitting there, in silence, is helping. Words are just words—actions speak louder.
Ever forward!
About the author:
This essay is written by Pep, 2025
This essay is written by Pep, 2025