[Stellata]

I hadn't thought that the list thread would stir up stuff for me. But it clearly has.

I'm nearly 40, and have complex mental health issues, and have been in treatment for just over 7 years, although the symptoms have been present in one form or another much of my life.
I've never been hospitalised or sectioned, despite at times being quite severely ill, and noticeably so in public [and ridiculed by members of the public for it.]

Maybe it's because of the level of [private, not NHS] support that I do have. Both professionally via my therapist and homeopath and the level of welfare support I have at work. As well as my GP - who is, of course, NHS, but the only NHS provider in my team.
And because I know that a hospital environment is the last thing I need when I'm in my own kind of crisis state. My support team know this too.
Maybe it's also because I've never self harmed 'badly'.

But I see people here way younger than me getting sections, and being in hospital for long periods. And I feel, what, jealous?
In my adult state of thinking, state of mind, personality state, I have no desire for hospital at all, at least not NHS style!
But I want to make it clear that the fact I've never been in hospital for my mental illness doesn't mean I am less seriously ill.

As always, my saving grace is my level of insight into my condition, I guess. It doesn't mean I struggle less, but I do have more responsibility.

I've never been on more than 2 medications at a time, and one of those two being a prn. I was for a time on two anti-depressants. But my treatment plan is for minimum medication. I am happy being minimally medicated. But so many people here are on many medications and have multiple official diagnoses. I just have the one - depression plus other complex symptoms caused by my past.

I just wanted to speak up for myself, and people like me.
It seems important.

Anyone else in a similar situation? What do you think/feel?