Dealing with Mental Illness

To admit you have a mental illness is not the easiest thing to do publicly. I have schizoaffective disorder, psychotic disorder, and the rest are developmental disorders, ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome. They can be a hassle, man, you don't even know half of it!

So, how do you handle mental illnesses as a Dudeist? Simple, don't be ashamed of your mental illnesses. There are still places on this Earth where admitting your mental illness publicly is dangerous, so whether or not you disclose your mental illnesses should be considered very carefully and with scrutiny.

While you should accept yourself fully and not be shamed of your mental illness, faults and strengths alike, you should be the person who decides whether to publicly disclose them. If you need help deciding, seeing a therapist should be a big help in making that decision, not to mention you will feel better when you have a licensed professional to listen to your problems, who you know you can trust with your privacy and dignity! 

There are so many ways to get help, but a licensed therapist(and if you are able, a licensed psychiatrist) is your best option, because they have been trained for confidentiality, and they understand the human condition better than anyone you'll ever meet, dude! Being a Dudeist while with a mental illness isn't a a contradiction. You have an even better chance of keeping your mental illness in line if you talk to your peers, especially other Dudeists who understands you, like the Dudeist group on Facebook or I the Dudeist forums! It's up to you what you do about your mental illness or how and whether to disclose it.