Opening Up And Being Open On World Mental Health Day

world mental health day

world mental health dayToday is World Mental Health Day. And as I said to a colleague recently I am very open about my mental health. For years since my health has improved, I have written blog posts about my illness and diagnosis. I have even written about mental health for The Mighty. I will talk to anyone about it. Friends and family, colleagues and customers. I have talked to my niece and nephew about my self-harm and even strangers. I’ve posted on facebook and twitter when I’m suffering from depression or anxiety.

I am open.

You don’t have to be. I am recovered for the most part. As recovered as I may ever be. I’m in a better place than I have been for years. I feel capable of being so open about my past and my current mental health.

If you are not me (seems likely), and not past the worst of your illness, your suffering, your problems, that’s okay. I know everyone says people should talk about mental health more and I do that in spades. But that doesn’t mean you have to if you can’t if you’re not ready.

If you don’t want to.

There is one thing you should do though.

Open Up

world mental health dayYou don’t need to tell everyone your problems. You don’t need to confide in the world that your depression has kicked your ass today. You don’t need to admit to suffering from anxiety, Or bpd or psychosis or social phobias (all things I suffer or have suffered from).

You just need to open up to one person.

Find one person to trust, to be strong when you are your worst. People cannot carry this sort of emotional and mental suffering around with them without someone to talk to. Whether it be a friend, a family member or a stranger on the internet even. Someone to unload on.

Not everyone has help, advice or even words but people can and will listen to you talk or type for a little bit.

I know because I’ve been there.

Even without suffering from mental health problems people need to talk. Everyone has problems and talking help. Sometimes it’s just the connection to another human being we need, sometimes it’s actual tangible support we need.

Whatever it is you need, find it, take it.

One day you’ll be able to pay it forward.

Opening Up

world mental health dayI am definitely at a place where I can be open about my mental health.

Before I would barely talk to anyone about anything. I hid everything. It took me years to even admit to my mum and sister that I suffered from mental health problems and that I self-harmed. That was not an easy conversation nor one I want to repeat but it was necessary.

It meant that I could count on these people for support. Not that I couldn’t before, but now they could support me with my mental health problems. I needed that. Other than my ex-boyfriend they were the only people in the real world that knew about my illnesses (not including doctors).

I did, however, have an online support network. I have been blogging since I was nineteen, though back then it was more of an online journal. I had a Diaryland and a LiveJournal, and joined a forum for self-harmers. I’ve met a lot of friends through these places. Including my best friend and son’s godmother.

For while it was all I had.

Over the years that network grew and improved and so did my mental health.

Being Open

world mental health dayNow I’m a mostly functional adult human of the real world. I have a job and a family and a house and mostly manage all three.

Mostly.

The thing about mental health recovery is that it’s never complete. I feel about 80% most of the time. But that is enough for me, enough to be living a good life and to be happy.

It is enough for me to be open about my past and my present mental health people. At first, it was hard. Writing about it was easy, writing about it will always be easy. What was hard at first was hitting the publish button, letting those words out there and sharing the posts online. Now I’ve been doing it for a while it’s much easier. I’ve even been open about my personal hygiene problems while suffering from depression.

Now it’s easier and I feel like it’s important. Not just because it helps other people know they’re not alone, not just because it help destigmatise everything. It’s important to me too, To keep writing about those years, the worst of it and the best of it. To document how I survived and how I continue to live.

I hope everyone can reach this place too. But if you can’t that’s okay and if you don’t that’s okay too. All you ever need to do is be yourself and live.

Live.

More Information For World Mental Health Day

 

21 Replies to “Opening Up And Being Open On World Mental Health Day

  1. This is such a great post. Opening up can be and is definitely a hard thing to do but I agree once I open up about issues i’m having I feel a sense of relief and it allows me to get the help I need .

  2. I am so proud that you are open with your mental health struggles because it also took me a long time to come to terms with my own issues. Now I am very open about mental health but it took a long time. I still have my bad days but I am better dealing with it now 🙂 thank you for bravely opening up to us x

  3. Such a great post and I love to read your story so glad that you are so brave to share your mental health struggles.

  4. Opening up is important, but also finding that person who worries enough to listen, but not enough to run off and call the police/doctor/etc. Always a difficult balance there. And then there’s the difficulty of understanding my own emotions and being able to describe them as they are. Not so easy either.

  5. Thank you for sharing especially the link to the resources that people so badly need. Mental health issues are so common but so hidden. Its nice to see when someone is successfully managing their mental health.

  6. My friend is a psychiatrist. recently I attended a talk by him and he too spoke about being open is vital to treating the issues and managing them. Applies both to the individual and the family.

  7. It is really important to open up and share your feelings but this is difficult too. I am so glad that mental health is not a taboo anymore and people are ready to help others. This is such an important conversation that we need to start and let others know that they are not alone.

  8. Thank-you for being brave with your words about mental health issues. Truly, are there any of us that don’t have them from time to time? I think you’re right, the biggest thing is having someone you trust to talk to. Sometimes the only thing you want is to not feel alone. x

  9. How can a person do that if that one person actually brings them down by saying they had even worse situations than me? 99% of the people are like that and that 1% is either rare or difficult to find.
    By the way, really loved the article. I want to open up but there are few people who just give lectures which really not needed.

  10. Thanks for sharing your story. There is nothing wrong bring queer. People are so judgmental because of their own insecurities. Be with understanding people and enjoy life to the fullest 😀

  11. As an Anxiety sufferer I agree that more understanding is needed when it comes to mental health. Its amazing that you are so open, I found that talking to a counsellor about things made the biggest difference for me and I recommend it now to anyone who isn’t sure what to do.

  12. There’s definitely a great need for open and honest discussion about mental illness and all its varied manifestations. Every year, we gather to talk about its impact on this day and then the topic is squirreled away. Until we all make peace with our biases towards the mentally ill, we will remain trapped in our own lies. It is a topic long over due for normalization.

  13. Being open and honest I think is the one true thing that can help those with mental health because one of the worst problems is feeling alone and like no-one cares or that you are going through it alone. Being honest can alleviate that to a degree!

  14. Being open is actually freeing and would help everyone’s everyday life. My good friend told me years ago she had constant anxiety and that helped her get it out there and talk about it and finally get help!

  15. Opening up about mental health, even to just one person, can be so hard. I am very close to my family, but I don’t think I could open up to my parents. I have a friend who I could open up to and my sister. I don’t think I need to share anything at the moment, I am in Avery good place mentally I think, but depression and mental health issues don’t discriminate. There may come a time…

    Pen x

    #KCACOLS

  16. so pleased you fund help. 80% is good. for me it’s all about feeling content and finding little things each day to focus on. good luck and live. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time!

  17. I love how you are so honest with it. I’m sure you have definitely helped a lot of people feel less alone by just opening up and sharing how you feel and what you have been through #kcacols

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