When you hear the words “mental health,” you may not even fully understand what that means. Most people think the term is only referring to people with mental disorders—depression, anorexia, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Right now, as I am personally am on the road to dealing with some key issues, I have been struggling with my own mental health issues. Those around me believe the panic and anxiety attacks, the mood swings, and the depression can’t be real. Most have labeled me ‘being crazy’ and I think it’s the easiest way to go. The main reason why people doubt me is because they say I have so much to be grateful for. “You have your health, a job, a loving family, friends, and you live in a beautiful city. Why in the world are you not happy?” The most common mistake is that most people believe that mental health is something you should only be affected by if you have major emotional issues to deal with—death of someone you loved, divorce, financial/job insecurity struggles, just to name a few. But the reality is that mental health is an important issue for everyone. Each one of us needs to find a way to deal with the problems we’re experiencing, no matter how big or small they may seem. Finding productive ways to do that is what mental health is all about.
There are lots of feelings inside of me that I would usually not want to share with anyone, because it is hard to trust people when we are dealing with serious emotions. In addition to that, I am always the one that people deem as someone who can solve all of their problems. They see me as the ‘tough strong girl’ who can and should get through and manage their issues. People never assume I have problems, while on most days I actually feel like I am going to break down. Most of the time my exterior life is the polar opposite of my internal life.
The fear of not being able to trust anyone with your true feelings can be very real, but we need to find a middle ground. We need to find a balance between not trusting anyone too quickly, and choosing to not trust anyone at all. Going through this now personally, I know that so many people out there have painful life events and issues that can derail you and totally incapacitate you. This change can be very disruptive, causing many different reactions. It’s suddenly like you don’t where you end and the problems begin. We blame ourselves; we become hostile, angry, and bitter and feel as though everything is your fault. We start to feel worthless and eventually we think of giving up.
But please know the good news- while you have been turning inside out at the mere thought about ever talking about your ‘stuff’ there is lots of effective and positive treatment methods out there and people are there to help you. There are many resources out there from support group to therapy but the key is that you have to want it. If you truly want to get better, you’ll have to deal with the reasons that have been keeping you from addressing your issues. We all have reasons—parents, family, friends and past experiences, or maybe you are afraid of the stigma. Any of these reasons can keep us isolated. Just know that half the battle is understanding yourself and knowing that you are not alone.
Have any of you been through these types of emotions and feelings? How have you dealt with it? What types of resources and methods did you find effective? Have a happy and healthy Tuesday!