In today’s society, people usually are afraid to talk about their mental illness. People typically keep their inner struggles to themselves. One good example would be Jane from “The Yellow Wallpaper” was struggling with her mental illness, so when she had spoken upon it, her husband didn’t pay no mind to her until the end where she went crazy. “by the front door under a plantain leaf! .. And then I repeated it, several times. Very gently and slowly, and said it so often that he had to go and see, and he got it, of course, and came in. He stopped short by the door.” This may be a huge reason why people don’t speak about what they are feeling or truly hurting them inside. Because When she talked to her husband, he shrugged her mental Illness. In this article ‘Joker’ Filled With Mental Illness Misconceptions by Susan Hatters Friedman, MD, and Karen B. Rosenbaum, MD. The text talks about how Joker was judged and never understood. “As a result, he often is misunderstood, ridiculed, and victimized – like many people with obvious mental illness.” Many people in society feel like Jane one example was Joker and this is why people who struggle with a mental illness don’t usually reach out for help until it gets worse. 

I have witnessed and experienced the same as Jane. From my own experience, this is why I keep to myself because people tend to look past the problem, especially in the brown community. There have been many cases where I felt alone, like Jane. As stated in the text, “I’ve got out at last,” said I, “despite you and Jane? And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back! “Now, why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall so that I had to creep over him every time.” This quote shows how only when she lost it, then her husband finally believed it.  People in the brown community have felt like Jane. Because of the brown community stigmatizing mental health so much, it becomes hard for many younger brown people to speak about it. People shouldn’t be afraid to tell others how they are genuinely feeling because talking to someone who truly supports you can help make you feel so much better. 

From my own experience, speaking to someone when going through a tough time has helped me so much. There have been times where I have been afraid to talk about it because who truly knows if I would be supported. Being completely honest, I’ve had random mental breakdowns and was afraid to tell my family because I don’t see how they would take it, but I got to speak to them, it wasn’t as bad. However, for Jane, it was wrong because her husband didn’t take her very seriously. It drove her to the end; as mentioned before, support is seriously needed during tough times; it just becomes so much pressure if the person gets no help. 

Jane had even hidden the journal she was writing in because she was afraid of John saying something about it and continuously belittled her thoughts, so she needed something to help her. “We shall sleep downstairs to-night and take the boat home to-morrow. . I quite enjoy the room; now it is bare again.” She was bottled in her thoughts and kept quiet because she had no support. So slowly, but surely her thoughts were deteriorating. It is the worst thing to do because it worsens your mental health even more since you aren’t speaking about it. 

The narrator sounds very lost and hurt because her husband belittles how she feels and doesn’t take her seriously. It hurts even more when the person you love doesn’t support you when you need them the most. Sometimes it makes people feel less of themself. Because for example, if the person I love the most doesn’t support me, I would think, “what’s wrong with me, am I crazy, do I not deserve their support” It makes you question if you are in the wrong. But in these challenging situations, you truly have to stand up for yourself and find a great support system, which may include friends, therapy, etc. 

But regardless of any situation, you truly have to find people who support you through the formidable obstacle. I’ve also learned it’s okay not to be okay. Be through things, we are all human, and we have emotions, and none of us are perfect, so no one should ever be judging. Jane’s outcome could have been so different if her husband had supported her and believed her when she told him how she felt and what she was going through. This also goes to show you how women are barely heard in many scenarios because “They don’t know what they are saying or they are too weak’, which is not valid in this time there are so many powerful women. It’s sad how people don’t want to believe their loved ones until the other person is completely damaged and needs help to recover from what they are going through. 

This goes to show mental health is so dangerously stigmatized. It’s hard to believe, but it is stigmatized so many people end up killing themself because they feel trapped alone. This is society needs to change because mental health should be taken care of just like a person takes care of themselves when they get sick or don’t feel well. Society needs to change the way we look at mental health and take it more seriously when people speak about their mental Illness and how it takes a toll on them. Just accepting and supporting someone can help them so much cause they know they can confide in you, and you would never judge them as a person or ever see them as less of a person just because they have a severe mental illness juggling with. This is why people say don’t ever be quick to judge a person because you don’t know what they are going through. Being nice is the least you can do.