There's no shame in taking care of your mental health.
As we grow up and experience the global world that we live in, we learn that everyone has problems. They may be financial problems. They can be emotional problems or relationship problems. But unfortunately, no one likes to talk about mental problems.
There is a stigma surrounding mental health. Why is it bad to admit that you are struggling? It is the stigma that stops people from getting treatment.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. - 43.8 million, or 18.5% - experiences mental illness in a given year”.
1 in 5. That’s a lot of people.
They also go on to talk about the consequences of not getting treatment. Some of them include hospitalization, an earlier death, increased health problems, and suicide. That’s not to say that if you get help, they will be able to “fix” you. Mental illness is a lot more complicated than that. It is so common to hear that the first step is to admit you have a problem. It sounds cliche but it’s SO TRUE.
It is common to think that your anxiety, negative thoughts, fluctuating moods, or other symptoms are normal. Why wouldn’t you? If you grew up feeling that way, you don’t know any better. But the “typical mentally stable person” doesn’t experience those things.
So if you feel that something may be different or off, look into it. The internet can be a scary place where you find false diagnoses and that might make things worse. But, if you don’t want to go to the doctor first, there are plenty of websites that offer preliminary screenings. They offer quizzes that look at your symptoms and connect them to possible mental disorders. You can then take that information and see a therapist or talk to your doctor. It might make it easier for you to explain.
If you don’t feel comfortable talking to a stranger, tell someone you trust. Someone that will help you. There are also numerous communities online where you can talk to people that are experiencing what you are.
The beauty of a global world is that you are not alone anymore. It is easier to find out what you’re struggling with and it’s easier to find other people that went through or are going through the same thing.
So if you’re reading this, do something about what you’re going through. Don’t accept this as the norm. You don’t have to struggle like this for the rest of your life without hope for better days.
Let’s get rid of the stigma. There's no shame in taking care of your mental health.
Here is the link to the NAMI: nami.org
And here is a quiz I have taken that, I think, is a good place to start: psychologytoday.com
