Originally Posted by
Morrigan
I think people get caught up in all manner of unhealthy cycles in a bid to get their real struggles validated. Validated by themselves, by RYL, by mental health professionals, by other patients they encounter etc.
As such it is not really competitiveness per se.
It is extremely dangerous however, for the individuals and for the community. Even when something like sectioning comes, it doesn't ever address the original issue, still less the need for one's struggles to be validated.
Co-operating with your team is a VERY good thing. It is what you are supposed to do. Getting better takes a lot of hard work and a very large part of that is co-operating with professionals and learning how to articulate what is going on instead of acting out. THAT shows maturity.
To me, if a person is fighting to get good help, and tries sensible suggestions to improve their health, it would usually suggest to me that their pain is more intolerable than those who shun help and allow themselves to get into real messes.
However, comparisons are dangerous as nobody has all the information about anybody else, many illnesses comprise an element of self-punishing or feelings of being too worthless to get help. Moreover many have unhelpful or even detrimental professional support so even when they fight to get well their health deteriorates to serious levels.
Personally what I have found is that because my struggles seemed so piffling next to those of many members who had been denied help, it took me a long time to realise that help was necessary. Am pretty sure things would never have got so entrenched had I got help years ago. I can't be the only one in this position.
I think that we all need to be mindful to look to our own pain and how best to heal it, and to stop looking at what other people are or are not doing.
XXX