What right do you have to judge someone with a mental illness?

Today I did my English Language Speaking GCSE

We had to write on a topic we feel passionate about and I chose "What right do you have to judge someone with a mental illness?" The feedback was so positive and i thought id write what I said on here.

DISCLAIMER: I  am not writing this for attention or for sympathy , I am simply writing it to make people think and to help others.

How often do you feel alone?

How often do you feel ashamed?
My guess is , once a week, maybe once or twice a month?

Imagine feeling these for every second of every day.

On top of that you feel, hatred, sad, anxious, unloved, unworthy.

And then someone comes up to you, and tells you off for feeling like that!

It sickens me how obnoxious people can be.

You see that year 8 girl solomley stamping her feet along the corridor.

Do you remember making fun of her?

Because she was an "emo" she had "emo" clothes "emo" wristbands and an "emo" bag.

She can't go into a classroom as she has a panic attack every time she does, everytime she eats at school she physically shakes and feels sick.

Do you remember making fun of her?

I do, because that year 8 girl, was me.

You may call me careless, pathetic, overdramtic or lazy

But what gives you the right to call me that?

What makes you feel so authoritative to laugh at that person having a panic attack or to judge that person who distances themselves from their friends simply because, they do not understand.

50% of people suffering with a mental illness cannot tell their families how they feel just because they are scared of getting judged.

Only 25% of people believe we are sympathetic and caring to those with a mental illness.

27% of people suffer in silence.

It aggravates me when people say " you're pathetic"
It deeply affects me when i get told to "get over it" or "snap out of it"

There was a time in my life about 6 months ago, I would just sit in bed.

And i would watch the girls from my school walk past and I would think " why can't I be normal?" I thought i was an irrelevance to everyone. I felt useless. 

I'm not asking you to understand as I hope you actually never do.

But you need to Stop the Judging. Stop Laughing. Stop the Stigma.

My goal in life is to speak out for those who suffer 

as together we are one

and we will not let our battles defeat us.