Journal Entry 2 - My Love Hate Relationship with "It Gets Better"

May 16th, 2016

This post is centered around my favourite/least favourite mental health phrase: It gets better.

Why I love it.

• It's true. Sometimes.

• This saying is applicable to so many struggles, not just mental health ones.

• It fosters hope that the future can be bright.

Why I hate it.

• It gets better implies if you wait it out long enough, you will get to the light at the end of the tunnel. This is not the case at all. You have to struggle and work hard. Trust me, if there was a magic pill, I would have taken it by now.

• The process of getting from “everything is awful” to "better" is excruciating (I currently live in the land of “I struggle everyday but it could be worse”). This phrase neglects to mention that.

• When people go through the most difficult times of their lives better can seem out of reach.

• ...Sometimes better is out of reach. For example, it gets better is often said to children and youth who are experiencing bullying. Yet, there are countless heartbreaking stories of them committing suicide. Or what about people who remain depressed their entire lives? I am not just talking about people who do nothing about their illness. There are people that have went through every therapy and medication possible but still struggle everyday. All these people? They never made it to better.

It may surprise you, based on these lists, that I love the phrase more than I hate it. That's because I have made it to better before. I think everyone can relate to going through adversity and making it to the other side. It's amazing. I'm not there yet on my current journey, but I hold on to the hope that it is entirely possible.