xoJane: I'm Crazy, But It's Not Glamorous

I get pretty pissy about glamorization of mental illness, which takes a lot of forms. As a creative professional, I often encounter the idea, for example, that mental illness makes people creative. In fact, I was struggling to work over the last few months, was doubting my ability to continue working, and getting on medication has helped me focus and tighten my work.

Or I encounter depictions of mental illness that seem to suggest we spend a lot of time lying around on furniture looking bereft, or being high-functioning and living the high life in fancy shoes before going home to sit in the bathtub, drink wine and be sad.