Woman Takes Selfies To Break Down The Misconceptions About Mental Illness

Imagine you have the flu; you can barely get out of bed, and you're vomiting every 10 minutes. But, your boss tells you to stick it out and come to work anyway -- even if you have to vomit in the company trash can all day.

Ridiculous, right?

Mental illness, while often invisible (unlike the flu), is still an illness. Yet many people who suffer from mental illnesses face constant pressure to prove they really are sick.

After an article in The Sydney Morning Herald posed the question, "Mental illness: [Who's] faking it?" one woman decided to take a stand against this stigma.

Blogger and writer Anna Spargo-Ryan posted two photos of herself on Facebook to demonstrate the many different faces mental illness really looks like.

These photos of me were taken three days apart. In the first one, I have a mental illness. And in the second one, I... Posted by Anna Spargo-Ryan on Friday, January 22, 2016

She wrote,

These photos of me were taken three days apart. In the first one, I have a mental illness. And in the second one, I have a mental illness.

Anna explained there is no way to identify "fakers" of mental illness. People with cheery dispositions at work may very well feel incredibly depressed every day.

Perhaps instead of doubting people's suffering, workplaces should try practicing compassion and understanding toward their fellow human beings.

Citations: Woman Highlights Danger Of Accusing Mental Illness Sufferers Of 'Faking It' With Powerful Selfies (Huffington Post)