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After the events of the past week, I have been writing a complaint. I have all the "evidence" against me listed and will refute all of it. I am claiming discrimination based on disability, which is depression. Not every person with a mental illness is violent nor are they a danger to others. However, many people have this notion from the constant media coverage of every school shooting focusing on how they were mentally ill. What I fear the most is the witch hunt, stigma and ostracism of everyone who divulges their mental illness.I fear that the people with mental health difficulties will always be labeled as crazy and dangerous. I am not dangerous to myself or others. Do I show poor judgement? Unfortunately, that is often. This happens when I am underemployed and do not use my one talent, my mind. What they did was add to a problem, not end it. Compassion heals and solves problems.
I fear that people with any type of mental health condition that disclose to their employers will be put under the same scrutiny that I was. It was a charge where the odds were stacked against me based on paranoia and hearsay. The evidence they had would not hold up in court for a commitment hearing because I am not a danger to myself or others. I am under medical supervision and actively participate in my recovery. The mind takes longer to heal than the body.
I know that this battle will be long and arduous. I am prepared to fight for people like me who struggle to make it through the day. I hope that my fear will not be realized. I hope that we can change as a species and be compassionate towards those that suffer. Maybe depression will not reach the epidemic proportions that is estimated. It will take a lot of work, but I can fight. I am stronger than anyone knows.
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