Psych ward

People always seem to want to share on Facebook when they're sick - it can be anything from a cold, to having to be in a hospital.

I'm in the hospital, but I didn't, until now, feel comfortable sharing it with the world. Why? Because I'm not here for a broken leg, a bursting appendix, nor any other physical injuries. I'm here because my brain isn't working right.
You might have guessed it from the title, but I'm going to say it anyways: I'm in the psychiatric ward.
I've been here for almost a week now, and I'm finally starting to feel better.

Admitting to a mental illness still feels stigmatized, if not taboo.
If your body isn't doing what it's supposed to, or you've somehow gotten hurt, it's alright. It wasn't your fault.
Even though I have received an almost overwhelming amount of support from those I've told, I still feel a bit scared admitting the fact that my brain is/was working against me.
Surely, I must have been taking drugs, or not taken my meds, or perhaps just not thought enough positive thoughts, right?
Wrong.
And surely, I must have gone completely coo-coo and/or tried to kill myself, right?
Wrong.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Though there are things you can do to improve and keep your mental health, lots of people just can't help it.
I don't excactly know how it works, but I remember hearing several places that many mental illnesses stem from having the wrong ratio of various chemicals in your brain.
There are people of all shapes and sizes here, and I have not yet seen someone as crazy as they are in the movies. No one who thinks they're Napoleon, no one who shouts at someone who isn't there. The people here are ordinary people whose brains simply won't co-operate.

One thing is other people's bias, another is my own. I don't know what set it off, but I feel so afraid of admitting that I can't always control my brain, because of not wanting to seem weak or attention-seeking, that it took me almost two weeks to seek help.
Two weeks of knowing something was horribly wrong, but being too scared to do anything about it.
That's not how it's supposed to be.

Mental illness isn't like having a cold, (which I coincidentally also have at the moment) where you just have to rest for a few days. You have to do everything in your power to keep your sanity, even if it means having yourself admitted like I did, and taking medicines that make you tired.

I am so glad my family and friends have been so supportive about all this. Even in here, I meet people whose families are mad at them for being in the psych ward. People whose families take it personal or don't understand why they have to "act that way".

It takes a lot for a person to admit to something being wrong with them, this also applies to physical ailments.
I hope we one day have a world where no one was raised to "tough it out" no matter the ailment.
I'm very glad I was taught it's okay to seek help where help is needed.