Think You Know What Mental Illness Looks Like? Think Again

Source: http://greatist.com/live/you-cant-see-mental-illness?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

When you see someone with a cast on, you know they’re injured. But when someone is suffering from mental illness (and one in five Americans do), it’s not always so easy to tell. At a time when it’s easier to filter and crop your life on social media to look fine and dandy, you can seem A-OK, even as you’re seriously struggling.

That’s why we love writer Anna Spargo-Ryan’s refreshingly real Facebook post. She puts two selfies side-by-side—one where she’s clearly been crying and another where she’s smiling—with the caption: “These photos of me were taken three days apart. In the first one, I have a mental illness. And in the second one, I have a mental illness.” The post was a reaction to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, which claims to show how to spot employees who are “faking” mental illness to leave work. The article’s author James Adonis has since apologized, but Spargo-Ryan’s message highlights the fact that we still have a long way to go to help put an end to all of the myths and misconceptions about mental illness.

Check out her full post below.

Facebook Post Shuts Down the Idea of "Faking Mental Illness"

These photos of me were taken three days apart. In the first one, I have a mental illness. And in…

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