The Repairman

I want to address an issue this post that has hit very close to my heart. It touches myself, several of my friends, and some family as well.

This is about mental illness.

It hits us in a variety of guises, from depression to paranoia, to PTSD, to DID, to full-blown schizophrenia.

The reason that I write this today, is inspired by a particular incident relating to a close friend of mine. They were actually told by a family member that if they were a stronger person, they would not be suffering the situation that was diagnosed. In this case, it was a combination of PTSD and Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Read this again: "This only happened because you aren't a strong enough person to handle it." IT, being the multiple traumas that spawned my friend's illnesses.

So this is to my friend, but also to anyone who suffers in their mind:

It isn't your fault. And you ARE strong enough, or you wouldn't be here today. We'll use this illustration. Look at this  picture:

The wires are frayed, pinched. Contacts are worn, malformed. The bundle is loose. The mounting tray for the equipment is broken.

Is it the wire's fault that someone came along and cut the ties that bound the bundle together? Is it the contacts' fault that oxides built up, that wires were pinched and chafed? The materials used for the installation were all MIL-spec. For those who are not aviation buffs, it means the materials used were all top-notch.

You ARE strong enough. What you are made of, is good. Life happened, and everyone has their limits. And for someone else to second-guess how strong you are, only shows their own lack of understanding about what happened.

The fact is, you need help putting things back together, repairing the damaged spots.

The final product isn't perfect, but it isn't about reinventing the wheel. The whole system doesn't need to be removed and rewired, to make it functional. Replace the broken tray. Clip out the damaged portions of wire. Extend wires with splices where they are needed. Attach a new wire bundle mount and re-route the side bundle. Clip off the damaged connector contacts and use the right tools to put new contacts in place.

Use the right tools. Use the therapist. Receive the prayer. Let the Master Healer restore and heal the broken places.

Using outside help doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're smart enough to ask for help.

Give yourself a break. And be your own awesome self. Just get better.