Admit you have an illness

An article published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

By Christine Stapleton {pictured]

IN 1957, the American Medical Association accepted alcoholism as an illness. At about the same time, alcoholism found a place in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual — the hallowed handbook that doctors use to diagnose mental illness (and that insurance companies use to deny your claim).

In other words, alcoholism is an illness. It is a mental illness. People who have alcoholism, like me, are not weak or lacking discipline. In fact, most of the alcoholics I know — in recovery and still drinking — are very strong and very disciplined. That’s how we convince ourselves that we are in control and what makes us so annoying.

Learning that alcoholism is a legitimate illness helped me immensely. It gave me some self-esteem, hope and the final word in conversations with know-it-alls who believe we could quit drinking if we really, really tried: "Well I guess you know more than the American Medical Association because the AMA decided that alcoholism is an illness 50 years ago."

Depression is different. There are a lot of people who admit that depression is a real illness. They feign sympathy and tell you about someone else’s struggle with depression.

But you can tell by their zealous enthusiasm that they don’t really believe it. I hate to admit this: I was among them.

I knew that Hippocrates declared depression a real illness several thousand years before the American Psychiatric Association.

Folks that I admired — Michelangelo, Eric Clapton and the guy who played Beaver’s brother, Wally — all suffered from depression. But when dealing with someone with depression, I privately thought: "Get a grip already, will ya?"

When I was diagnosed with a depression — a major clinical depression — what helped me more than the manuals and medical endorsements were the aw-shucks comments from friends: "I’ve been on antidepressants for years." Or, "Actually, I am on two antidepressants." Or, "I have to be on either antidepressants or hormones or I’m a mess."

Really? Who would have guessed?

The moral is simple: Do whatever it takes to accept and forgive yourself for being mentally ill.

Also see:

Accepting problems hard, but worth it