MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
You are crazy! You are sick! You have lost your mind! Get a grip! Get help!
I am asking have you ever had anyone say this to you or hear someone say it to another? I know that I have many times when working with my clients. Mental Health has such a stigma to it. Many people believe that it is not a true medical illness or that a person can be fixed. Let me set the record straight a Mental Health diagnosis is a medical diagnosis. Mental Health is evaluated in different ways; however, can still affect an individuals functioning level. So why does the average person not believe that it is a true diagnosis? The terminology Mental Health was first coined by Plato in Greece. Mental Health falls into to three areas; Trauma, family history or biological factors. What I am trying to say is that it is nobody’s fault when they are diagnosed with mental health issues. The real issue here is how society perceives others who struggle.
The stigma of Mental Health restrains thousands of individuals from seeking professional help. What will my significant other think, what will my parents think, what will my children think, what will my employer think and what will my friends think???? All of these “What If’s” stop most individuals from reaching out for help. Ultimately, nobody wants to feel as if they are broken.
YOU ARE NOT BROKEN! I want to counterbalance that frame of thought with, YOU ARE A MENTAL HEALTH WARRIOR!! Suffering with mental health and not helping yourself only leads to complete disfunction in your world. All relationships suffer and your work life. Getting yourself help proves that you are NOT BROKEN and that you care about yourself enough to fight back. We all have people in our lives who refuse to acknowledge that there is a problem. We all have people in our lives that say they will not go to a therapist or doctor. They often say, “I am not crazy.” They are right because in my eyes nobody is crazy, they have a medical illness that needs to be addressed. If you are reading this and you relate to what I am saying and refuse to seek help ask yourself “Why.” Anxiety is one of the biggest offenders. The average individual believes that they can handle their anxiety. Let me ask you this, are you handling the anxiety if it exists every day of your life? Agitation, short temper, can’t focus, racing inside, pounding heart, obsessive thoughts and difficulty problem solving anybody? Anxiety is one of the most common forms of mental health issues and yet many don’t reach out for help when it becomes chronic. Isolating yourself, sleeping a lot, can’t focus, low energy, sadness and lack of motivation, suicidal thoughts this is Depression. Many do not reach out for help because they don’t want to be sick. I could go on and on about the reasons why people don’t ask for help. The biggest is that they are just afraid about what others will think and that they can handle it by themselves.
If Covid 19 had any positives, it is the light that it shined on Mental Health issues. TikTok, Instagram, Youtube and Facebook was flooded with people posting about their struggles during the time we were all encouraged to stay home. I believe that this phenomena helped to normalize a Mental Health Diagnosis. People started to see that it was ok to seek help. The rise of virtual Dr.’s and Therapy session were at an all time high. I am happy to report that these habits have continued for many, even after Covid. The world is starting to understand that we all struggle. It is ok to seek help and it is ok to say that “I suffer from anxiety, depression or Bi-polar disorder.” The world needs to be educated more on illnesses like Schizophrenia and Personality Disorders due to the way Hollywood and fiction novels have documented the illnesses and the word Crazy. Many have had parents who suffered from Mental Health illness and they fear they are like their “Crazy Parents.” This fear paralyzes them from seeking help.
YOU ARE NOT BROKEN, if you are diagnosed with any of these Mental Health illnesses. I always like to reframe this by saying, “You are a work in progress.” The first thing I would like you to say to yourself is: “I AM NOT BROKEN, I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS.” You are a beautiful individual who has their own mountain to climb but through self-help and professional help you will get there.
Mental Health Awareness month is a time of year where we shine a light on this and try to educate others and the signs to look for. My message is that if you have a fleeting thought that you need professional help, please do your research and ask for help. It does not mean you can’t live a productive and happy life. It does mean that if you don’t, you will be on a spinning wheel that never stops. and that can get exhausting. Educate your loved ones about your diagnosis and what you need from them. There probably always will be people who are in denial about a Mental Health Diagnosis but don’t let that person be YOU.
I am giving you permission to say that YOU ARE NOT BROKEN, YOU ARE A MENTAL HEALTH WARRIOR because you are trying to be the healthiest you possible. Be proud of yourself and reward yourself when you see progress in yourself and life. Ultimately, it is all up to you and the power is in your hands.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
CIAO
Ilise
