Hey everyone, Minxi here, taking over NN's Twitter for #WorldMentalHealthDay .

Today, I want to talk about what living w/ a mental illness has taught me about being an activist. But first, a piece on why #WorldMentalHealthDay is problematic: https://www.onlinecitizenasia.com/2016/10/20/framework-of-oppression-and-problems-of-mental-health-and-stigma-talk/
My journey into activism began w/ an involuntary psychiatric hold at 18 yrs old. If not for this experience, perhaps I'd never have become NN’s Operations Manager. Hopefully what I've learned can be of use to other budding activists, esp those who struggle w/ mental health.
Lesson 1: Reclaim language. I’ve been diagnosed w/ depression, anxiety, BPD & bipolar II. The stigma attached to these words is often more painful to deal w/ than the conditions they describe. Esp when medical professionals are involved (fellow borderlines can attest to this).
But the language of diagnoses was not made by (or for) the people it most directly affects. A big part of living w/ a mental illness is fighting to self-define. Refusing stereotypes & stigma on personal & institutional levels. So too w/ many other political struggles.
As Operations Manager, I’ve tried to change this. Now we have paid leave & mental health policies, peer support sessions & free therapy for staff. There’s also been a gradual shift in mindset. More & more I see people on the team treating their mental health as a priority.
Of course, I pushed for these changes for my own sake too! Learning to advocate for my mental health needs & create safe spaces in work & life has been essential in my activism journey. Call it the oxygen mask theory. You have to care for yourself before you can help others.
Lesson 3: It’s an uphill battle. Living with mental illness for most of my adult life has been, in a word, Sisyphean. RN I’m dealing w/ low mood & energy due to COVID-related life stresses. I’ve accepted that I’ll dip in and out of depressive episodes for the rest of my life.
Being a human rights activist in SEA feels very much the same way at times. You take 1 step forward towards a better future & the system pushes you 10 steps back. You’re knocked down. You stand up again. It becomes routine. Even boring. You question the point of it all.
I often feel my work is meaningless when I’m depressed. I fixate on an end-point where all my pain, personal & political, will be resolved. I forget that the climb itself is the point. No matter how bad things get, there is inherent value to the act of trying to be better.
Once we can embrace that creating a better world is an uphill battle, it becomes a lot easier. Once we realize that “mental health” is not some magical goal to reach, but a constant process of self- & communal care, the easier life becomes for those of us who struggle w/ it.
That’s all for my #WorldMentalHealthDay Twitter takeover. If you'd like to share your own thoughts on mental health &/or activism, pls reply to this thread & continue the convo. Orgs looking for advice on developing mental health-informed practices can also reach out.
You can follow @NewNaratif.
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