Yeah. We've all heard it. It's drilled into us like 1+1=2. Well, for someone suffering from mental illness, it simply isn't true. Whether it be Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, or what have you, happiness is no more a choice than having the illness to begin with.
I've heard all sorts of things, every one of them more offensive and ignorant than the last. Let's take some of them and turn them around a bit to qualify for someone with a physical ailment.
"Happy thoughts will make you happy."
"Happy thoughts will make your cancer disappear."
"You want to be unhappy. It gets you more attention."
"You like being a double amputee. You get more attention."
"If you choose to be happy, you will be."
"If you choose to not be paralyzed, you won't be."
Get what I'm aiming at? The worst thing you can ever tell me, is that I choose whether I'm happy or not. Believe me, if it was that simple, mental illness wouldn't exist in the first place. I want to be happy! I've tried all sorts of methods of higher thinking, they just don't work. They may work for someone who wants a diagnosis of Bipolar, but for someone in deep... not a chance.
Side note: Yes, there are people who actually want the diagnosis. They're actually (more than likely, anyway) a Borderline Personality. Yes. It's a thing. Look it up or just watch Girl, Interrupted.
So, just in case I haven't made myself clear...
>Happiness isn't always a choice<
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