Good Morning.
I've always appreciated the idea of remaining anonymous here on NMP. Especially early on when I was in School and in business for myself. But now that my life has taken me in a different direction, in my public life I am very open and honest about the things I suffer from. I openly discuss the panic and anxiety I suffer with on my blog, social media, and in my books.
I don't say this to urge any of you to do the same. That is a decision you must make on your own. I suppose my point here is, in my life I've decided to be a let the world know of my hidden suffering. To shine a light on the negative stereotypes others place on mental health.
We live in a modern world where people with issues like obesity and mental health are still stigmatized and that's a shame. Why we treat these things with such a shame factor is beyond me. When I see an obese person (in the mirror every morning). I see someone who is struggling not someone who's just lazy. The same is true for someone with mental health issues (again, in the mirror every morning), we are not to be feared. We need to simply be understood and valued.
All of us here know first hand the shame and the embarrassment of living with a mental and/or physical health issue. Don't you think it's about time to stand up to the bullies and the misinformed and say no more. I am Ferman D. Thornton and I have Panic Disorder and Anxiety Disorder and I am a human being.