Nobody's Normal

The concept of 'normal' is a variant of the concept of 'good.' It is that which society has approved. Stigma is not based around the process of mental health; it is a social process. Stigmas about mental health and those who have experienced a mental health condition are based around what people consider to be the ideal society and the ideal person, and I am here to say I think it's time we stopped this and began to see mental health as a diversity of human culture. At its core, stigma stops people from seeking help when it is most necessary. I would like to hypothesize that mental illness is a diverse way of being as opposed to something which 'others' us and makes us less than normal. There is no normal anyway. We are not inferior just because we may not be able to work or find it difficult to fit in culturally. We are humans having a human experience, and that means we are equals. I would like to start talking about mental health as a continuum or spectrum which holds many different facets. A continuum is characterized by a coherent whole, and this is why I like this idea; it is not about one versus the other. It is a collection, sequence, or progression of values or elements varying by minute degrees. A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. So you see, the words are interrelated. I would also like to hypothesize that mental health is a form of neurodivergence. This may not be accepted by everybody, but I would like to explore it as it is part of diversity as a whole.