These Two Aspects of My Identity are the Most Important to Me

Written by Lala

Having mental health disorders takes up such a huge part of someone's life, at least for me it does. It's something I struggle with and think about every day. It's always been a part of me. I have to decide who I feel comfortable opening up to about my diagnoses. I fear rejection, people not understanding my reality/struggles or using it against me. The stigma is real. ⁠

I see a lot of similarities between my identity as someone with mental illnesses and my identity as a queer person. Everything I mentioned can be applied to being queer, and I know there are other correlations. ⁠

These two aspects of my identity are the most important to me as they are something I have to confront on a daily basis, making it very present. But most importantly they make me unique and allow me to see the world in a different, more accepting and understanding way.