I’m Still Not Able To Stop My Loved Ones From Downplaying My Mental Illness

Do I need to kill myself for them to take it seriously?

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If you’re struggling or know someone who’s struggling with mental health issues, know you can find support by calling 988, a lifeline available 24/7/365 that offers free and confidential help. Their website is

She was among the first ones I told about my mental breakdown three and a half years ago, therefore the last one I expected would fail to understand the severity of my mental illness. When she did, I didn’t know what to say and I ended up saying nothing and — you’re reading it right — nodding as if she were right.

It was painful to hear her downplaying my issues as if she hadn’t been listening to me opening my heart to her about the awfulness they put me through just a couple of years earlier. Her dismissing attitude hit me like a stab in the gut, but I hid it.

I pretended I was fine when I wasn’t. I masked the reality of my mental illness, something I had promised myself I’d never do again.

It started like a normal conversation with this dear friend of mine, who I’ve known since I was little and am very fond of. She began telling me about a friend of hers who is mentally ill. She doesn’t know…