At school I was invisible, nobody saw me. I morphed into the background, I wasn’t popular. I was ignored throughout my school life. Although my school didn’t know I was disabled, they did know I struggled and to make headway with my schoolwork, because they spoke to my parents about their concerns. That should have rung alarm bells, but it didn’t, and I continued to mentally struggle.
Institutions
Children can be cruel. And while institutions are there to house groups, institutions only work when support mechanisms are in place and everyone works together, and for the greater good.
In school I was continually being picked on, continually being harassed by teaching staff for not paying attention, when the reality was my mental disability stopped me from concentrating, answering questions and generally being able to contribute to lessons and conversations like my peers. I felt stupid most and I was being discriminated against.
Mental Health
Being born in the 60’s when mental health, emotional health and physical health all existed, discrimination was a thing. Disability wasn't on people's radar. Fast forward to The Equality Act 2010 and UN Convention and disability and people’s perceptions on disability began to change. (Source: https://www.gov.uk)
All it would take is for people to start working together. No child or adult, no one with mental health or physical health issues should be discriminated against. It’s all in how you choose to see and deal with people with disabilities. Where the human condition is flawed, we can change, we just have to want to. We should want to do better for those who need us to.
They love to say that kids can be cruel but I have to say that they can be downright sadistic! Growing up in the 70's wasn't much better seeing as they didn't talk about any disabilities.
I knew that I had issues myself, but nobody explained that it could be ADD or brain damage from the many head injuries I got as a kid.
The world would be great if people at least acknowledged that these issues weren't our fault.
What you've had to deal with is no more your fault, than mine. And mine isn't my fault. Any disability, however it manifests itself, mental or otherwise needs others to support us.
What I find hard to accept is we're living in an uncaring world where you and I still continue to struggle with what we deal with.
While I know we all deal with something and no one is free of issues, childhood or otherwise, around disability there needs to be more support.
In 2023, things have changed around disability, it would be remiss of me not to point that out, but in the wider world (because my blogs aren't just about disability) the small changes that are out there, still doesn't go far enough.
My blog is testament to that.