Tuesday, October 10th was World Mental Health Day (note that its “World” and not “National”). Mental Health is something we can all relate to. Every single one of us need to remember that mental health, like physical health, needs to be acknowledged, and yet, every single one of us can be so quick to neglect it.
Most, if not everyone, at some point of their lives will experience the struggle of feeling alone, uncertain, or unworthy. I don’t think I know a single person who has never experienced a bad mental health day. Yet, it can still be taken too lightly. It’s worth taking a break for. It’s worth saying “no” for. It’s worth going to a counselor for.
As humans, we are complex individuals, spending our lives trying to figure out our careers, our true friends, our romantic interests, our niches in life; we hardly get the time to figure ourselves out. As a result, we can tend to put that burden on others. However, we are all fallible and flawed. How can we expect someone else to have figured us out when they don’t even have themselves figured out? It’s important to stay in tune with how the media, who you surround yourself with, the news, academics, and more takes a toll on your mental health.
Despite the great strides we have made to decrease and end the stigma around mental health, there are still damaging attitudes around some people that may be ignorant to the effects of poor mental health or mental illnesses. Many individuals in college are even susceptible to feeling isolated due to their mental illness, and resort to grappling with their mental health issues on their own, or becoming dependent on informal support from their friends, roommates, or mentors. It’s okay to go to professional help. Georgia Southern provides all full-time students 12 free sessions at the Counseling Center on campus. There, you can see a staff therapist or even join group therapy. It’s okay to seek help. You are strong, if even, stronger for acknowledging that you can’t do it alone. Resources such as these are available with the purpose to be used. Chances are someone you know either goes to counseling here on campus, or knows someone who does. If not, I’m here to say that I recently started taking advantage of the counseling center on campus, and it’s one of the most positive additions I’ve made to my busy schedule.
(some of the Emotional Wisdom seminars provided by the Georgia Southern Counseling Center!)
In order to continue to break the stigma surrounding mental health, we must advocate for it. We must allow ourselves to recognize when we aren’t mentally healthy. We must recognize those with mental illness. We must create safe spaces in places that otherwise aren’t. We must care for ourselves enough to care for our mental health. Write it on your heart to take care of yourself.