Growing up with mental illness is hard. While growing up is already a daunting endeavor, when we add mental illness into the mix, things become exponentially more difficult.
When it comes to parents some will cast your struggle off as a phase and never think on it again. Mental illness is never the first place our minds go when things like this happen, but it should be. Struggling with your mental health happens, it is not your fault. Mental illnesses are not prejudiced they can happen even to the best of us.
Below you will find a list of things people who grew up with mental illness faced each and every day of their lives. Take them to heart and really consider what it is like. Whether you were a child who suffered from mental illness or not you may need to see this list, if the following applies to your childhood you might be struggling even now with a serious mental illness.
1. You felt like the weight of the world was on your shoulders.
When it came to helping people you wanted to help everyone but yourself. Things kept piling up and no one wanted to lighten your burden.
2. You never felt good enough
You always felt like you were not good enough or just didn’t matter. You did your best to even keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself because of this.
3. You back talked
This was because you could not stand authority figures. You would push them further away than anyone else.
4. You pushed away your friends
Did you ever experience mood swings? Pushing away those who are close to you is all too common when it comes to mental illness.
5. You loved/love animals more than people
Growing up you turned to animals for love and support rather than people. You didn’t worry too much about interacting with people when you had animals to talk to.
6. You cried yourself to sleep
You really believed you were worthless or that everyone hated you. This is something that kept you up at night more often than not.
7. You were always walking on egg shells
Nervousness was the death of you, not literally but figuratively.
8. You clung to relationships
You searched for love in every direction. While this didn’t work out as well as you had wanted it to, clinging to the opposite sex was at least something to keep your mind occupied.
9. You were a daydreamer
You would allow your mind to wander all too often.
10. You would spend a lot of time in your room
No matter what you were doing you were doing it in your room, with the door closed.
10. You made small mistakes into big ones
No matter what it was nothing was good enough.
11. You were more introverted, always
Not necessarily because you wanted to be but because staying in your room alone was better than the alternatives. You may have wanted to get out and see friends but your body was too tired and you just couldn’t make yourself do it.
12. You didn’t trust anyone
You didn’t feel close enough to anyone to even talk about what you were going through.
13. You knew not to judge people
You never judged anyone because you didn’t know if they were going through what you were going through as well and could not bring yourself to make that worse for anyone.
14. You daydreamed a lot
You spent more time in your own mind that anyone your age would have.
15. You pushed people away
When someone would get close to you or try to you always made sure to cut them out of your life, this being because you didn’t feel like you were worthy of their friendship.
16. You didn’t plan for the future
You were just sort of there. You didn’t have any major goals or dreams, making it through the day was hard enough.
17. You always identified better with those who were the ‘underdogs’
This mostly meaning in books and movies but could also apply to real life as well.
18. You didn’t share things with your family
While most kids go to their parents when they need someone to talk to, you never felt like that was an option. This was not because they had done anything but just because you didn’t know how to ask for help.
19. Music was your best friend
Your headphones were always glued to your ears.
20. You had trouble sharing in class
When it came to giving speeches or anything of that sort you would spend days preparing only to be extremely nervous still, other people were fine and comfortable speaking to their friends in class but you just about died each and every time you had to be in front of everyone like that.
21. You hid your true feelings
You got good at putting on a fake smile and shrugging through each day.
22. You were seen as ‘weird’ by your peers
Everyone thought you were odd.
23. You were afraid of abandonment
Chances are that you still are.
Your mental health is important. If you are still dealing with these issues it would be best to see someone about them to narrow things down and get a treatment plan started. You do not have to suffer alone, we have all been there.
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