Are You a Bad Person? Use This Guide to Find Out!

Are you a bad person? Use the following 100% accurate and completely foolproof guide to find out!

You’re not a bad person if…

You are underweight, overweight, an average weight, slim, plump, curvy, skinny, short, tall, an average height, eat a lot, eat a little, eat a “normal” amount, have trouble eating, eat too much, have fluro blue skin or have one eye. Your value as a person should not be defined by your outward appearance. While it’s nice to be as healthy as you can be* (and your illness may get in the way of this), how you look does not affect you as a person. Your intelligence, friendliness, hobbies, passions, wishes, loves, achievements, kindness, crushes, extreme fandom of particular TV-shows, dreams and wit far outweigh any “flaws” with your appearance.

*(I mean “normal” healthy; not magazine-activated-almond-kale-eggwhite-rawmeat-grass-mudshake-instagramworkout-healthy.)

You are a bad person if…

You kick puppies.

You are not a bad person if…

You need a lot of emotional help and support. It’s OK to not be completely independent, we’re human and need friends and family to reassure and comfort us. With a mental illness (or two, or three, thanks Mr. Comorbidity) it can be really hard to manage, and you may need significantly more support than someone who doesn’t go through what you do every day. This does not make you weak nor a burden! You don’t have to keep it all to yourself. It’s not a bad thing to reach out, in fact it’s brave and helpful. If you have trouble finding someone to talk to in person, don’t forget the wealth of resources available online, such as forums and professional chatlines.

You are a bad person if…

You punch babies.

You are not a bad person if…

You relapse. It doesn’t make you any weaker or less capable than anyone else. It just means the monsters in your head happen to be particularly resilient and aren’t going to be kicked out that easily… stubborn bastards! Hopefully you have the resources and support available to help you get out of this rut so you can continue forward on your journey.

You are a bad person if…

You purposely set people on fire.

You are not a bad person if…

You are taking medication for your mental health. Have you ever gone on antibiotics, taken travel sickness pills, bought painkillers, had some Panadol or Nurofen or Aspirin, been jabbed by a vaccine, forced down cough syrup, used a puffer, injected insulin, used eye/ear drops, been on the pill, had some random yucky liquid as a child, or munched on vitamin and mineral tablets? If none of these at all, you are probably superhuman or alien, and I welcome you to Earth. We’re a bit odd here but most of us are friendly enough. But I digress… if you, dear reader, have ever taken any form of medication for your mental illness, or know someone who has, remember that meds for your mind shouldn’t be seen as something shameful or embarrassing. You take medication and get treatment for your sore stomach, your itchy eyes, etc. and it’s damn mediocre. So why shouldn’t you take medication for your brain?

You are a bad person if…

You kill an innocent stranger slowly and painfully for the lols.**

You are not a bad person if…

You take longer to get things done than other people. Life is not a race. I have to remind myself this, to be honest, but it’s getting better over time, as I realize that the whole “milestone” things of life: school-university-fulltimejob-car-moveout-career-partner-marriage-children-ownhouse (in any particular order) don’t have to happen right away. Being chronically sick can slow things down, and you may feel behind in comparison to your age group or group of friends. It’s OK to study part time. It’s OK to take time off work. It’s alright to ask for special considerations when doing school or uni work. There’s no point ignoring your health for years so you can achieve things quickly if at the end of it all you die or end up in hospital for a long period of time. Recovery is a full-time job in itself, so you’re already achieving something incredibly important anyway.

Remember, you’re a good person.

**You may need some help if this statement applies to you.

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