"But, I didn’t have the language to actually say I need help. My mom needs help. I’m scared. I harbored feelings of confusion and fear for a long time. It was nearly impossible for me to explain to people why she rarely visited me in college. Only a few of my closest friends knew the details. But even when I wanted to share what was happening with someone, I didn’t have the right words.
“What do you mean your mom doesn’t leave the house?” close friends’ expressions seemed to ask me when I explained why my mom wasn’t at a swim meet or a school play. “So your mom is a shut-in?” another friend asked. And, “don’t say your mom is crazy,” when I let it out in frustration. “But she really is,” I had replied. I was wrong to stigmatize someone with a mental illness, and I know better than that now. But when I was younger, I was met with disbelief for what I was going through, and I had no other way to express what was a reality."
No comments:
Post a Comment