By Alea Umairah
Edited by Nadya R.
Have you come across a situation where the other person uses their mental illness as an excuse for their behaviour? Or have you ever done so? Mental illness should never be used as an excuse.
It is great that society nowadays is aware of mental health issues. However, as it becomes more widely recognised, people tend to abuse it. Using mental illness in this manner could create a stigma, discredit genuine struggles, and deflect accountability. It is important to find constructive approaches to managing your mental health while still upholding responsibility.
Why?
Creates stigma
If you use mental health issues as an excuse for your bad behaviour, there would be stereotypes and misconceptions about mental illness, suggesting that those with mental illness are rude, irresponsible, and problematic. This could increase stigma and make it harder for individuals who genuinely struggle to seek help.
Discredits genuine struggle
It downplays the actual difficulties experienced by individuals with mental illness. There are a lot of people with mental health issues who put in a lot of effort to cope with their symptoms without relying on them as justification.
Be responsible
As adults, we have our own responsibilities. And for students, it is our responsibility to do our assignments, to study for our exams, etc. Just because you are sick doesn’t mean that you are excused from your responsibility. For example, you cannot just be in a group project and let other people do your part only because you are sick and expecting to get the credit freely, right? Your group mates are not responsible for you. You are an adult, so you are responsible for yourself.
WHAT COULD YOU DO?
Nevertheless, I do understand the struggle of being mentally ill. You might feel tired and miserable, but these are what you could do instead.
Talk to people
It might be challenging to manage alone, so you could either seek support from those around you or consult professional help. You might want to talk about how you feel and what burdens you. Having a deep conversation on how you feel would really help ease out your burden. Also, as university students, you have the privilege of seeking professional help for free. You could book an appointment with your university’s counsellor and talk to them. Some people might find it easier to open up to a stranger rather than close friends, so this could help.
Have a wind-down routine
You could do a wind-down activity whenever you feel overwhelmed or stressed. Some of the activities are journaling, listening to relaxing sounds, reading a book, brisk walking, and many more. These activities could help you to calm down and relax. So whenever you feel overwhelmed, you could take a break and do these activities. When you have calmed down, you can continue your work. This way, you will not affect the tasks that need to be done.
In summary, although coping with mental illness is undeniably challenging, using it as justifications for negative behaviour could create stigma, discredit genuine struggles, and deflect accountability. Instead of allowing mental health issues to excuse inappropriate actions, it is vital to acknowledge responsibility and embrace healthier coping strategies.
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