upsides of mental illness
I'm so unwell I can't work, so not working is nice sometimes. (I also want to work, in some respects. I also don't have as much true freedom as I'd like because my mental is so limiting.)
I receive a lot of support from friends and family. Illness has taught me to ask for and accept help (kind of, i'm still bad at it). Most of it is emotional support or just them understanding when I'm not up to a task.
I have gained a lot of wisdom and insights and patience through my struggles. I'm likely more patient with my friends, family, kids, and frustrating people because I've had to be so patient with my own body & mind.
I've bonded with other mentally ill people, who I typically find very thoughtful and having a large depth of emotional intelligence.
Yaknow, illness still sucks, but I don't want to see only the bad things.