Yesterday I wrote about my experiences with roommates during my recovery from a severe bipolar episode

. Several of those roommates were diagnosed schizophrenics. I didn't mean to demonize them or single out schizophrenia as worse than bipolar disorder. They are equally debilitating . Bipolar disorder can be just as unsettling.

There are many people who manage and even thrive with a mental illness. There are many schizophrenics who are more successful than most. We know so little as a society about schizophrenia and we fear it out of ignorance. If we were educated about mental illness, perhaps the fear would turn into understanding then empathy. Stigma surrounds all mental disorders. Schizophrenia is singled out, in my opinion due to the fear of the unknown.

What I experienced with roommates frightened me. I am still educating myself about schizophrenia and other diseases of the brain, including bipolar disorder. I have tried to read everything I can get my hands on about my mental illness to dispel my fear,  but there are things I still don't get. I am baffled by untreated and treatment resistant mental illness. Many of the mentally ill that I have met on my journey fell into this category. Their symptoms were unsettling at best. The scary part is that I experienced these symptoms myself.

During the last 5 years I have been exposed to mental illness in it's rawest forms. I owe this to the reality that I was just as ill as the people I encountered. My bipolar disorder had precipitated a 9 month hospitalization and a 5 year recovery period. My symptoms of depression were debilitating and disturbing to friends and family. I was suffering from a disease of the brain, and that was as scary to me as it was to others. My fears have only been alleviated through education and the help of trained professionals. I am now stable due to being medicated correctly, the intervention of doctors and the loving support of family and friends. I am one of the lucky ones.

I believe that the stigma associated with mental illness is due to the silence surrounding it. We as a society, just don't talk about it. Even when we do , the conversation is fraught with ignorance and misunderstandings. I do not want to add to the confusion with my stories about my experience with bipolar disorder. They are however, real. There is a segment of the mentally ill population that is so affected that they cannot function. They are suffering from a disease of the brain that allows them to be held hostage by their symptoms. I know this because I have experienced this myself. For a while we all hoped and prayed that I would get better. It is a testament to the power of medication and support, that I am well today. It is my hope and prayer for my fellow sufferers that they will also get the help they need.