I have always known I was different. I like being different. I am unique. I don’t think like others. I prefer to think on my own. I do not consider myself a follower. I do things my own way. My thoughts and beliefs are my own. I do not let others thoughts and beliefs alter mine because they are just that – mine. I follow the beat of my own drum.

I am an individual.

I’m glad I’m different. Because right now? I am utterly appalled and disgusted at the human race.

I am fighting for words to share my disgust. My horror.

There has been a lot of speculation regarding mental health since the unfortunate events of Friday. And what is even more unfortunate is that it is common lay people with no education and no knowledge of mental illness speaking out. And what they are spewing are lies. Not only lies, but the ignorance that people – the human race – are spewing are downright disgusting.

Let me start out by saying I have worked in the mental health field since I was 19 years old. I have 10 years work experience. But to top that off, I began attending school in September of 2007. I have an Associate’s degree in psychology. I have a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. I am half way complete with my Master’s degree in mental health counseling. So not only do I have the experience, I have the education.

In addition to my experience and education, I have suffered my own mental illnesses and I know plenty of parents that have children with mental illness or developmental delays. I guess that is why I am appalled at the human race.

This post was shared this morning:
by the The Anarchist Soccer Mom.

It is her personal story about her son who has a mental illness. It is one tiny look into her life with a son who has a mental illness.

What makes me sick is comments like this:

So, how about this? All you people with the crazy genes STOP MAKING BABIES. My children are exceptionally bright, good-natured, well- mannered, and delightful. They don’t deserve to be brought up in a world where people with schizophrenia have access to weapons of mass lethality. Show some fucking responsibility. If you have these genes in your family, adopt.

It seems like your son is not all that different from most of his age, he’s just not internalising his inner dialogue. It’s just not all that uncommon for that age, especially for someone who is gifted…he’s most likely bored to death by school and probably frustrated by a school with clearly a strict dress code, which in choosing you’ve done him no favours and certainly haven’t helped by picking fights about such insignificant matters.

To be honest, I feel this is a combination of bad parenting and bad schooling that doesn’t strive to understand the student, but eagerly punishes him for any time he dares to defy or answer back. Oftentimes these young people simply don’t know they have any alternative than their lashing out…and oftentimes they don’t have any alternative. They’re usually treated as if they’re objects or possessions.

I’m not saying you’re a bad parent, period. But I don’t think you have taken the time or effort to understand your child, and I think you’re approaching it in the typically improper way that so many Americans do: throw medication at it, threaten the child for not conforming, and never address the possibility that maybe, just maybe, you’re as much as part of the problem, and the schools are as well.

For people like your son, a restrictive dress code can be as infuriating and stifling as any other form of censorship. And a fight over that? Please. If you’re thinking he’s insane because you had an argument with a teenager, which you started, and he called you a stupid bitch, then maybe you should take a few steps back and talk to some people who have actually dealt with teenagers before.

When I was growing up, I was highly gifted and my parents often found it difficult to relate. My mother and I had some really intense arguments sometimes, but neither of us ever physically hurt the other. Does that mean it was a good situation? No. Does it mean either of us was insane and needed to be locked away because we ‘couldn’t handle it’? No, that’s not true either.

This just seems like such a situation where a parent isn’t prepared to deal with a child more intelligent and wise than his years, who doesn’t want to be constrained and suppressed, and who simply isn’t willing to suppress himself. As usual, society pushes it on everyone. No wonder he’s furious. And the whole threatening suicide? It’s in any popular media, and again, it’s nothing new for teenagers.

It seems that, more than this poor kid needs to be shut away in mental hospitals and treated like a criminally insane person (which he is not), this blogger mother needs to go to a class and learn a few things about how to raise a teenager.

These are just a few samplings out of 777 comments (as of writing this).

These are pure ignorance.

The first comment regarding stop having babies and adopt? That is a joke all in itself. Majority of mental illnesses are not genetic. There is no explanation for why a child is born with a mental illness so a parent’s genes have nothing to do with it. That comment alone makes me sick. There are no words for that individual aside from the fact that they are utterly ignorant and have no knowledge of mental illness.

The last comment? I am in disbelief. He is acting like a normal 13 year old? He just wants to express himself? By threatening his family with a knife? By stating he is going to kill himself? What normal child does that!? None. That whole comment screams ignorance and lack of knowledge regarding mental health.

People need to educate themselves on mental illness.

It is not contagious. It is not

always

violent. Can it be? Certainly. But is it always? No.

Society as a whole need better mental health services as well, but that is a whole other post and a whole other can of worms.

All I can say right now is

don’t speak if you don’t know

. This hysteria regarding mental illness is such a joke. Just because there is one violent mentally ill individual does not mean that the other 99 next to him are violent as well. Just do the world a favor and

educate yourself before you speak

.