I am a 36 year old female, and for most of my entire life I have been labeled as "crazy". Not from things that I have done, but for whatever reason. I am antisocial, so maybe that's the factor (that I keep to myself). But for whatever reason, I have carried this label around on me all my life. I have never been to a psychiatrist or a mental institution. I have been holding down the same job for the past 11 years with no problem. I work, shop, live, pay my bills, and do all the things that "normal" people do. (GO FIGURE) My problem is that I am from a small town, and once you are labeled or stigmatized, your reputation gets to new acquaintances before they can judge you for themselves, and they go along with the stigma. I love to read, and research, and because I am living with this problem, I have come to find what I knew all along about mental health is that it is a brain disorder, and it is not the person's fault if they are mentally ill, it's a condition just as diabetes or cancer, and that people's ignorance and misinformation about such is why society is so messed up the way it is. And, it's amazing that Gnarls Barkley had to come out with a hit song "Crazy" for people to even take notice of this subject, and to realize that if a person is "Crazy" then so what, it's not a bad thing. He said in the song that he may be crazy "Probably". It bedazzles me that all of these people that have labeled both myself, and others this way won't educate themselves as to the word that they use, and try to define the reason behind the label that they are dispersing, but will jam the tune to a song, and will actually listen to the message in the song to hear the meaning. AMAZING. But for all others out there like myself, keep your head up, live life by doing things that you are supposed to do, and you will make all of the people look like they are "ignorant". And also, if you live in a small community, you can move to another state, or anywhere in the country you want, and start a new life. You don't have to die carrying this label. It has been a long, hard thing for me because people have called me "crazy" to my face, have referred to me as "crazy" in front of others with me within earshot. It had brought my self-esteem down, and for a while, I was depressed, but I have held on to the same job where all of this has and is taking place, and I am going to keep on living my life the way God wants me to, and doing what I am supposed to do, and soon, (I am getting my finances in order) plan on moving elsewhere and start a new life. My last words for people in this same situation is Live,and Overcome, don't Become what people say you are, But Become
Who You want to be.