I have had rough few days. I am not up to writing a full post, but I want to get something up on the blog. So, I will share a poem that is related to a recent post. In my January 11th post, “Turning Hurtful Words into Healing”, I wrote about a hurtful experience I had with a health care provider. Since poetry is my go-to healing strategy, I wrote a few poems about that incident. I am going to share one today. This poem, Do You Really See Me? can be found in my book, Traveling the Healing Journey: Finding the Light in Mental Illness. It is available in bookstores and on Amazon.
Let me know in the comments if the poem resonates with you. I’ll be back with a longer post on Thursday.
Do You Really See Me?
I get it.
I have a mental health disorder.
You do not understand.
I see you standing there in your white lab coat.
I guess you think that I am crazy.
It is easier for you to just assume that I am my mental health.
You do not see the person behind the label.
The person who feels so deeply, who longs for life to be different.
That is who I really am.
I am not just “depressed with catatonic features”.
I am more than my anxiety disorder.
I have dreams just like you.
I feel pain just like you.
Do you see me?
We are not that different.
One day you may struggle with this darkness, although I hope that you do not.
I do not wish depression on anyone.
Sometimes I wish I could better explain what it feels like to live with a mental health disorder.
Let others know what is like to see darkness all around me.
I hide my tears, wear a fake smile just to get through the day.
You only see a part of me.
Deep inside I am longing to emerge from behind my diagnosis;
Shatter the label and be seen.
It’s wonderful that you can be unafraid of being seen. It’s clear that you have a bounty to share, Dear One.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Sharing our stories is one of the best ways to help each other heal.
DeleteSo many people don’t see depression or understand people that have it. I’ve heard others say way too many times “just smile you’ll be ok” or “you’ll get over it”. Being around you and having you as a friend I have seen just a tiny bit of what you have experienced and what people tell you. It’s sad when people don’t understand or don’t even want to understand. They don’t see it as an illness. They just think “oh they are sad”. It’s so much more than that. I have learned so much because of you and see depression so differently. Keep sharing and keep advocating.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Your words mean a lot. And yes, depression is so much more than being sad. I always was hit hard when I recognized depression in one of our students. There needs to be so many more resources for kids struggling with depression. Thankfully, there are more resources than when I was a teen trying to cope with depression, but sadly, there still needs to be more.
DeleteI think that a lot of people do see you, and others, but do not know how to be there for people. Many are oblivious, and I am jealous that they may never know what depression feels like. I wonder about teaching empathy, boundaries, support, and being open in school instead of some of the current curriculum.
ReplyDeleteMental health lessons definitely need to be taught in schools. Kids want to learn about their mental health and how to help themselves and others. Unfortunately, the focus on testing in schools makes it difficult to teach the skills kids so desperately need.
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