Why is it that talking about mental health is taboo? People walk on eggshells around mental health. It leaves people unwilling to come forward if something is wrong. Mental health doesn’t even have to portray a person with a disability, since I’m sure that’s what most of us picture when people say mental health. Mental health can mean needing to go to counseling or taking a day for yourself because sometimes you just have “I can’t do this right now” moments. This is my personal truth for my own mental health, and the truth is I’m not okay.
For those who know me, you must be thinking “she’s never come to me about this” or “why haven’t you talked to me about this?” Honestly, the stigma of mental health just hasn’t made me come forward and has made me pretend that everything is alright. I mean isn’t that what we do sometimes when things are wrong. We just shake it off and move on with our lives. We don’t take those mental self-care days for ourselves because admitting that something is wrong isn’t easy. It isn’t easy admitting to yourself that you need to seek help from counselors or therapists. It leaves you with a chip on your shoulder and sometimes it just eats at you until finally, you can no longer ignore it.
It’s easy for us to pretend and go on with our lives. I pretend everyday, well everyday may seem excessive, but most of the time it’s just getting through the day. Pretending is something you get good at because pretending means that you don’t need to admit that something is wrong. You get to carry on with your activities, yet those moments where you have a breakdown are the moments that make you remember. Mental health sometimes is something you can’t easily see that something is wrong with someone, which is why it’s sometimes hard to know if everything is okay. I mean you’d think if you saw me that everything was fine with me, but that’s not the case, since we know looks are deceiving.
You can’t blame yourself for not knowing because mental health is easily hidden, so don’t say I’m sorry for not knowing, just be there to listen. It’s why people keep it hidden that needs to change. It’s the stigma people face when they say something is wrong mentally. It’s people feeling ashamed or afraid to step forward when something is wrong. It’s what leads people to feel isolated and sometimes face terrible consequences. Mental health should be freely talked about, and people should feel comfortable speaking their truth. Their truth is what leaves them without a chip on the shoulder that eats at them everyday. I’m not saying everyone is going to come out and admit they need help because it’s not that easy for a person to accept, but it’s creating safe environments and being supportive that leaves people willing to accept that something is wrong. My truth is that I’m not okay, but freely speaking this truth is the first step for breaking the stigma and creating a new path for myself.