Mental Health Is Fixable

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Mental Health Is Fixable

Even When It Feels Like You’re Beyond Repair

A lived experience — Michael P. Lennon

There’s a moment — usually late at night — when your own mind quietly presents its verdict.

You’re broken.
You’ve gone too far.
This is just who you are now.

And the worst part?
It sounds believable.

I know, because I believed it myself.

Not casually. Not dramatically.
I believed it with conviction.

By the time I was detained under the Mental Health Act, I was convinced I was the only rational person left in the room. That everyone else had missed something obvious. That I had connected dots no one else could see. I didn’t feel “ill.” I felt certain. Dangerous certainty, as it turns out, is not clarity — it’s a symptom.

It took me 41 years to understand something painfully simple:

Mental health and physical health are equal.
And being unwell does not mean you are a write-off.

I’m ashamed it took me that long — not because I should have known better, but because society didn’t teach me better.

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When We Say “Fixable,” We Don’t Mean Easy

Let’s get one thing straight:
Fixable does not mean quick.
It does not mean tidy.
It does not mean a slogan, a sponsored walk, or a black-and-white Facebook square.

When I was in crisis, “It’s okay not to be okay” didn’t touch the sides. It didn’t address trauma, fear, paranoia, or the deep sense that I’d permanently damaged my life. It didn’t explain why my thoughts felt hijacked, or why shame had become louder than reason.

What helped wasn’t inspiration.
It was intervention.

Medication.
Containment.
Being stopped when I couldn’t stop myself.
People holding the line when I was convinced there was no line left.

Mental health is fixable in the same way a shattered bone is fixable —
with time, support, and the right kind of care.

Not with willpower.
Not with silence.
And definitely not with pretending you’re grand.

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“Write-Off” Is a Lie We Inherited

Somewhere along the line, we absorbed a dangerous belief:

That if your mind goes, you’re gone.

As a funeral director, I’ve seen where that belief ends. I’ve heard the zip of body bags opened on young lads and young girls who never wanted to die — they just wanted the pain to stop. Suicide doesn’t come from weakness. It comes from a mind that has convinced someone they are a burden, a failure, or beyond help.

And here’s the truth we don’t like saying out loud:

Nobody wants to die.
They want relief.

I know, because my own mind tried to sell me the same lie — just dressed differently. Mine came with confidence instead of despair. Certainty instead of fear. But it was still my mind lying to me.

That’s what illness does.

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Recovery Doesn’t Look Like a Comeback Story

Recovery is not cinematic.
It’s awkward.
It’s slow.
It’s answering letters you’re afraid to open.
It’s relearning how to trust your own thoughts.
It’s accepting that some damage happened — and that healing can still happen anyway.

Hospitals save lives.
But rebuilding one? That’s a longer road.

And this is the part nobody tells you:

The most dangerous moment isn’t the breakdown — it’s the quiet after.

That’s when people feel like they should be “over it.”
That’s when shame creeps back in.
That’s when the write-off lie returns.

It’s wrong. Every time.

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If You’re Reading This and Thinking “That’s Not Me” — It Wasn’t Me Either

I didn’t see myself as someone who’d struggle with mental illness.
I worked. I coped. I carried others. I kept going.

Until I couldn’t.

Mental health doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care about your job, your background, your gender, your toughness, or your reputation. And it doesn’t announce itself politely.

If you’re struggling right now — with thoughts you don’t recognise, fears you can’t explain, addiction, or a heaviness that won’t lift or you can't manage— hear this clearly:

You are not a write-off.
You are not weak.
And you are not beyond help.

What you’re experiencing is real. And it’s survivable.

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Why I’m Telling This

I’m not writing this to fix anyone.
I’m writing it to name the lie.

The lie that says mental illness is permanent failure.
The lie that says asking for help makes things worse.
The lie that says recovery belongs to other people.

It doesn’t.

Mental health is not about being perfect.
It’s about being supported.
And sometimes, being stopped — long enough to be saved.

If the only thing you can say today is “something isn’t right” — that’s enough. That’s not the end. That’s the beginning.

And if you don’t believe that yet, borrow my belief until you can build your own.

You’re not written off.
You’re still here.
And that matters more than you know.

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You are alive. You are worthy. Recovery is possible.

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Be honest with yourself for a moment.

When things start to slide, most of us don’t actually know where to look for help, or even what to ask for. We freeze. We scroll. We tell ourselves we’ll deal with it later.

Here is something simple that will actually work.

Copy this line. Paste it into a search engine. Change the words in brackets to fit you:

How do I find support resources for (your issue) in (your area)?

For example:

How do I find support resources for anxiety and depression in Derry, Northern Ireland?

How do I find support resources for PTSD support near me UK?

How do I find crisis mental health support services in my area?

You don’t need the right diagnosis. You don’t need the perfect words. You don’t need to be “bad enough.” You just need honesty and a location.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be tempted to minimise it. You’ll tell yourself it’s not serious enough yet, or that other people have it worse. Ignore that voice. Support is not something you earn by suffering quietly.

You don’t need the full picture today.
You don’t need to explain everything perfectly.

You just need to take one small step toward support.

Mindspire — Where Lived Experience Finds Its Voice

Support Resources

If you’re struggling or need to talk to someone right now, help is available:

Samaritans — 24/7 listening support

📞 116 123

Shout Crisis Text Line — confidential text support, anytime

📱 Text SHOUT to 85258

PAPYRUS – Prevention of Young Suicide

📞 HOPELINE247: 0800 068 4141

STEPS — practical support during mental health difficulty - 

PayPlan — free, confidential debt advice and support

Mental health services - nidirect

Mindspire Disclaimer

This piece is based on lived experience. It is not medical advice or a substitute for professional support.

If you are struggling, please speak to your GP, local mental health services, or a trusted helpline.

In an emergency, call 999 or 112.