Page 115 - Demo

www.MOSTmag.com || FITNESS MAG A ZINE || 115There is a cloak of silence around mental illness in our society. Largely because the generations before us didn%u2019t talk about it, they thought it made them different and different wasn%u2019t good. It is also hard for people because there is no pen and paper way to prove you have it. There is no medical test that can show your neurotransmitters are off and therefore you are experiencing the symptoms of that. I think it will be so helpful the day that we can test people and be able to %u201cprove%u201d that there is something going on. Right now it is just people describing symptoms and doctors taking them at their word and for a lot of people that makes doctors look like pill pushers and people seem like they just can%u2019t deal with everyday life.For those of us living with it we know it is more than that, or at least we think we do until someone doubts us. So we hide it, keep it silent, and wait for the day that we no longer need to be ashamed of something beyond our control. For me, today is that day. I want to take that cloak of silence off, throw it down, and stomp the hell out of it. I want to tell you how I am living with this disease and what has helped me cope. I am not a doctor, or an expert on mental health. I am just an ordinary girl with an extraordinary husband trying to keep my quirks in check while navigating parenting, living, and trying to outrun my issues.www.alishaperkins.com