Can you Cure Yourself Through Willpower?

I see it time and time again. The same posts. The same complaints. “You wouldn't tell someone with a physical illness to cure themselves through willpower, so why would you say that to a person with a mental illness???” And I get it. Popular examples of this include telling a person with mania to calm down, a person with depression to get over it and cheer up, and a person with anxiety to just relax. Having been subjected to all these attempts at help many times, I totally understand the frustration. But at what point DOES willpower come into play?

Now, I'm not suggesting that anything can be “cured” through willpower. I have an illness that requires medication for the rest of my life. But I think the willpower issue is more complex than “there's nothing that can be done”.

Mental Illness requires willpower. Willpower to get out of bed. Willpower to take your meds, go to therapy, make your appointments. Willpower to meditate, pray, eat right, exercise, do your breathing exercises. Sometimes you do need to calm down, cheer up, and just relax. Sometimes you gotta fight, and while you shouldn't feel judged or be verbally reprehended for experiencing symptoms, you also shouldn't just lie down and let your body be under siege.

I guess my point is, don't underestimate the strength of willpower. We ARE strong. We are not passive victims, any more than those with physical illnesses are. Whatever type of illness you have, we require our inner fortitude to come out and play hard.

We may not be able to cure ourselves, but we can sure put up one hell of a fight.