The conversation surrounding mental health and mental illnesses is one that seems to be on the forefront lately. With more individuals feeling comfortable about discussing their own diagnoses and disorders, it helps to normalize the notion that a majority of the human population suffers from and deals with at least one form of mental health disorder.
However, while there are people who feel exceedingly comfortable discussing their mental health disorders, there are those who are still forced into a confined box of shame and ridicule. Why? Due to the constant stigma around those who do deal with these kinds of psychiatric disorders.
It’s impossible for one to say that there are no preexisting stigmas surrounding the conversation on mental health–people go through the consequences of these stigmas every day. One author, Blair Imani, brought up an important aspect of dealing with these stigmas and disorders in an eye-opening Twitter thread that everyone should see.
Imani stated that the stigma surrounding mental health tends to “conflate” people’s success and productivity.
She admits she suffers from several mental health disorders, but, that it does not interfere with her professional life, stating the two are not mutually exclusive. 
She also brings up that capitalism’s view of success and productivity is a vast lie, that our worth does not come from how successful we are as human beings.
Additionally, she admits that mental strength and mental wellness are not synonymous, and taking medication to balance out the chemicals in your brain is nothing to be ashamed of.
Many people online related to Imani’s words and were incredibly grateful for her transparency and honesty.
Maybe this will be a turning point in the conversation surrounding mental health–to let people know that your worth is not tied directly to how “successful” or “productive” you are, and, that you are not alone.