I’ve often asked myself the question; Why do I blog anyway? Why bother? Why would I put myself ‘out there’? Why put energy and time into writing in the first place? It’s not like I was getting paid for it. Why take the chance of being ridiculed, bullied, scorned or negatively impacted? It would be so much easier to not bother at all. To just sit in the corner and pretend I have the perfect life. That would be so nice, but I’d be lying. I’d be painting a picture of myself that wasn’t real.
My writing is twofold. First of all, I write for my own benefit. Writing is therapy! It’s like taking the cover off a boiling pot, it releases the pressure on the inside. So for me, a sufferer of depression and anxiety, it’s a form of treatment. And no, I am not ashamed, nor do I need to be, of having a mental illness. And if writing is going to help my recovery , then I will write/blog. If you have a problem with that then you have the option of blocking me from your Facebook account. Just don’t read my blogs anymore, no one is forcing you to do so.
You know I don’t even feel angry at people who dislike my blogs, not even sad; I feel SORRY for you! If you have followed my blogging since I started and today you still have this attitude of prejudice, stigmatizing, arrogant and lack of understanding; then you are never going to ‘get it’ and I will keep you in my prayers. And please, just don’t follow me anymore, there is a delete button; if you know how to use it.
I believe my writing ability is a gift from God, and if He sees it as a positive influence, then I must certainly write and use it for His glory.And if you have a problem with that, you will have to take it up with Him.
My second reason for writing/blogging is to help others who are experiencing similar circumstances and or deal with a mental disorder on a daily basis. To break down the walls of stigma, to help people realize they have nothing to be ashamed of. We have an illness; not a defect! I challenge those who think they have the right to judge someone with a mental illness, to show me their ‘perfect’ mental health. We all have our challenges in life; some probably more than others. It’s also my intentions to let those out there know that they are not alone, they needn’t suffer in silence. There will always be people who don’t understand and that’s fine. We don’t live in a perfect world but let’s do our part to make it a little better place to live. With so much evil, ignorance, stigma and hatred in our world today; let’s shine our light and help diminish some of the darkness.
And to those out there who doesn’t share my enthusiasm and love for helping others; I really do feel sorry for you. May God work a miracle in your life today. John 15:13 ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’.