No Hero I - Why "My Brave Battle with Schizophrenia" Aren't Words You're Likely to Hear.
Last night BBC1 showed a fact-based drama called "The C Word". It was based on the book and blog by Lisa Lynch, a woman who received a diagnosis of breast cancer at the devastatingly young age of 28. Tragically Lisa eventually lost her struggle against the terrible disease, but not before touching the hearts and minds of many with her witty, insightful and moving writing. So I must make it clear that it's not my intention in this post to decry a young woman who was so clearly inspirational. However, it is a source of sometime consternation to me that the words used to describe the plight of Lisa and others like her - words like "tragic", "brave", "inspiring" and "heroic" come to mind - seem to trip off the tongue so easily, whereas when one speaks of those battling with mental illness they are used sparsely, if at all. Why is this? Using my own experience as an example, I have to make many efforts to stay well. Getting enough sleep...