May : Mental Health Awareness Month
Today I need to talk about mental health.
Mental health is so incredibly important. Making sure that we’re taking care of ourselves is so much more than eating good foods, going to the gym, and making good choices. It’s also about paying attention to our feelings, our thoughts, and what our body is trying to tell us. Did you know that our bodies can exhibit physical symptoms of anxiety? Stress? Depression?
Mental Health Awareness has gained a larger following over the last few years; I think this is incredible. During the month of May, you may hear more about mental health than other times throughout the year, because this is the mental health awareness month. I highly appreciate the different avenues of social media, filling my feed with stories of people battling with different types of mental afflictions, poetry being screamed from the lungs of someone who might feel breathless, and the videos created to show you how it might feel, or how someone might think…that is dealing with a mental illness, currently.
I read an article this morning about High Functioning Depression. As I read through the article, I checked off symptom after symptom going “Yes, mmhm. Yes, I have that. Oh, Yup, I do that too…mmhm, yes.” …And then at the end it suggested getting in touch with someone to talk about it; to seek treatment. (If you would like to read the article, I will include it at the bottom of this post).
Surrounding yourself with a group of people that support you, is highly important. The people that will tell you “You just need to get over it” or “Wow, don’t be a drama queen” are not the people you should be taking the time to confide in…I know from experience. Just because you think I am making a big deal out of something, doesn’t mean that it’s not very real to me. When I’m in the middle of a moment where my heart feels like it’s no longer going to beat within my ribcage…when it feels like I’m moments away from death, and fear is not just an idea or a feeling, but it’s consuming my every thought, every breath, every single cell…the last thing that I need to hear, is to “oh calm down, you’re fine.” Those panic attacks and anxiety attacks that last for what feels like forever, leaving your chest physically sore for two days…those are hard to deal with…but having people that support you, will listen to you, will give you a hug and reassure you that you’re not alone..those are the people you need to surround yourself with.
Seeking treatment is also nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone works through things at their own pace/rate…some times treatment options can be expensive. Insurance helps (if you have insurance) but it can be difficult to keep on top of juggling doctor appointments, medications, therapy, work, family life, having a social life, etc. You have to decide what the best treatment plan is for you, and what will fit your life best….
But the key thing, is to remember that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Even if you feel like you have no one that truly understands what you’re going through…If you’re standing in a room full of people but you feel like you’re out of place and no one would notice if you were there or not; you feel alone. You. Are. Not. Alone. Sometimes I feel like this.. I feel like this a lot more than I like to admit actually. This might seem shocking to those that know me, because normally I’m the social butterfly, extrovert, “I need to know who you are and learn your story” type of person. I like to be the center of attention, and I enjoy making people laugh and smile… But a lot of the time, I feel like I’m always looking for where I fit in…because mentally, I have convinced myself that I don’t fit in. It’s an endless cycle, that I fight with every day. Luckily, I have some amazing people around me, who wouldn’t ever let me give up, even if I wanted to (sorry, I’m not giving up on life. It’s crazy beautiful, even in the saddest of times; I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!) : )
I just felt like I needed to share my thoughts on mental health and remind anyone reading this, that you’re not alone. It’s okay to reach out to someone around you! As promised, here are the links to some of the articles that I read today, and I think that you’ll enjoy them as well.
Articles:
Mental Health Awareness has gained a larger following over the last few years; I think this is incredible. During the month of May, you may hear more about mental health than other times throughout the year, because this is the mental health awareness month. I highly appreciate the different avenues of social media, filling my feed with stories of people battling with different types of mental afflictions, poetry being screamed from the lungs of someone who might feel breathless, and the videos created to show you how it might feel, or how someone might think…that is dealing with a mental illness, currently.
I read an article this morning about High Functioning Depression. As I read through the article, I checked off symptom after symptom going “Yes, mmhm. Yes, I have that. Oh, Yup, I do that too…mmhm, yes.” …And then at the end it suggested getting in touch with someone to talk about it; to seek treatment. (If you would like to read the article, I will include it at the bottom of this post).
Surrounding yourself with a group of people that support you, is highly important. The people that will tell you “You just need to get over it” or “Wow, don’t be a drama queen” are not the people you should be taking the time to confide in…I know from experience. Just because you think I am making a big deal out of something, doesn’t mean that it’s not very real to me. When I’m in the middle of a moment where my heart feels like it’s no longer going to beat within my ribcage…when it feels like I’m moments away from death, and fear is not just an idea or a feeling, but it’s consuming my every thought, every breath, every single cell…the last thing that I need to hear, is to “oh calm down, you’re fine.” Those panic attacks and anxiety attacks that last for what feels like forever, leaving your chest physically sore for two days…those are hard to deal with…but having people that support you, will listen to you, will give you a hug and reassure you that you’re not alone..those are the people you need to surround yourself with.
Seeking treatment is also nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone works through things at their own pace/rate…some times treatment options can be expensive. Insurance helps (if you have insurance) but it can be difficult to keep on top of juggling doctor appointments, medications, therapy, work, family life, having a social life, etc. You have to decide what the best treatment plan is for you, and what will fit your life best….
But the key thing, is to remember that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Even if you feel like you have no one that truly understands what you’re going through…If you’re standing in a room full of people but you feel like you’re out of place and no one would notice if you were there or not; you feel alone. You. Are. Not. Alone. Sometimes I feel like this.. I feel like this a lot more than I like to admit actually. This might seem shocking to those that know me, because normally I’m the social butterfly, extrovert, “I need to know who you are and learn your story” type of person. I like to be the center of attention, and I enjoy making people laugh and smile… But a lot of the time, I feel like I’m always looking for where I fit in…because mentally, I have convinced myself that I don’t fit in. It’s an endless cycle, that I fight with every day. Luckily, I have some amazing people around me, who wouldn’t ever let me give up, even if I wanted to (sorry, I’m not giving up on life. It’s crazy beautiful, even in the saddest of times; I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!) : )
I just felt like I needed to share my thoughts on mental health and remind anyone reading this, that you’re not alone. It’s okay to reach out to someone around you! As promised, here are the links to some of the articles that I read today, and I think that you’ll enjoy them as well.
Articles:
1. "11 Signs That You Might Be Experiencing High-Functioning Depression (Yes, It’s A Real Thing)"
http://www.scarymommy.com/signs-high-functioning-depression/
2. "24 Surprising Physical Symptoms of Anxiety"
https://themighty.com/2017/05/physical-symptoms-anxiety/
Thank you for reading! I appreciate your time.
PS. If you know someone struggling with depression, anxiety, etc. reach out to them, just remind them that you're there for them, and that they aren't alone. It might feel corny/cheesy/wishy washy...but it might be just what they need to hear.
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