Black Sheep

As I was sitting in class the other day, I was thinking how many of us think we are 'normal'?
How many of us think those with mental health conditions are in some way not normal?
You wouldn't be wrong, I mean by definition normal is c o n f o r m i n g , u s u a l , t y p i c a l , the most boring words I've ever heard in my life and I haven't been alive long (that's saying something). Normal is definitely not someone who has a mental health condition. They are not normal.

In fact they don't even think normally! Their thoughts are so different to someone who's normal,

 

in fact they are wild ; different ; intelligent

 

now the reason i say this is because they see the world differently, their logic is different. Its insightful sometimes to listen to someone who sees and hears different things (I'm not trying to glamorise mental health in any way) I suppose I like learning from them like they learn from me. 

 the shared norms and values we are socialised (or as I like to think of it, brainwashed) to believe in ultimately make us feel justified to feel superior to any other norm or value- and that folks is the reason why we find those who don't follow norms and values abnormal ergo mentally unwell people.

Now, I would like to tell you my friend, we are friends right? we've known eachother long enough so don't leave me hanging, most of us are unwell probably more often than we like to admit. (You're not kidding anybody, bill) So infact we are all pretending we follow these 'norms' when we don't even really, stuck in this contorted reality that makes us look down on others and stupidly ourselves aswell.

Let me break it down for you, mentally unwell people like those with Schizophrenia may not have had the same upbringing as someone from a stable background (parents, education etc.) that is why they may have difficulty inferring meanings or social expectations this can sometimes lead to them acting in a 'bizarre' way, for instance a question as simple as 'how is everything?' to you and I it might be asking how are you, youre family, your general living etc. but to someone who is mentally unwell their understanding may be anything from how is your hygiene to how the world is therefore they may break off into a tangent, but to be fair, I totally get where they are coming from, everything  is bloody vague , what kind of a question is that! and anyway I would like a more comprehensive answer, its refreshing once in a while, from the boring reserved British 'fine' or 'good, thanks'.

What it is, essentially, is a need for society to make themselves feel better, like they fit in, deep inside we are all worried we are not good enough or we are not normal. We are moral threats to society.
each and every one of us.

And who's in charge? Well you are. You are in charge of yourself. It starts with you, I suppose.

Good luck.