This week’s topic is something that I feel a lot of people have problems talking about. However, mental illness is something that so many people battle with on a daily basis and it needs to be addressed. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that 46.6 MILLION adults experience mental illness every year. That is roughly about 1 in every 25 people. Those are just adults within the U.S., that doesn’t include children or other countries. Now I want you to think of your friends, family, people you work with, yourself; regardless of the number, I can guarantee that you know someone who is experiencing some kind of mental illness. The saddest part is that you might not have any clue, unless they are someone who feels comfortable sharing that information with you. You don’t want to think of your close friends and family having to overcome this challenge, but the reality of it is that they are, and they need you. This isn’t something they just face once a day and they move on, this is something that they could be facing for weeks and they might not know how to handle the situation.
Out of all the mental illnesses, anxiety disorders, such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder lead the way with 18.1% (of the 46.6 million people), while depression takes second, with 16 MILLION people experiencing it a year. I think it is important to know the numbers because it puts it into perspective just how many people are dealing with this on their own. It also helps to see that if this is something that you are going through you aren’t alone, and it is okay to get help. Obviously everyone’s specific life events are going to be different, so not everyone is going to be feeling the same thing, but there are similarities between who are experiencing mental illness, and there is nothing to be ashamed about. The more we talk about it the more people will be comfortable not only getting help to better themselves, but it also raises awareness for people who are suffering, and for those who have lost the battle with mental illness.
My friends and family mean the world to me, which is why this topic is so important. Many of my friends and family have experienced some kind of mental illness, which is hard for me because I care so much about them. However, they have been very open with me and what they have gone through/continue to go through. I am so thankful they feel comfortable sharing with me, because like I said before, you never really know how many people are fighting some kind of battle. What is hard for me sometimes is trying to figure out what to say to them. I want to be there in every way to support them, especially when they are feeling really low, but I’m not always the best when it comes to saying the right thing. I know that a majority of the time saying nothing and just being there for them is the best way to go, but sometimes they need someone to talk to and just listen to them.
I personally suffer from anxiety and depression. It is something I have been battling for almost 3 years now, and I am still learning how to overcome it. I have constant battles with myself that lead me to miss out on memories with friends and family. My anxiety and depression are something that hold me back and sometimes I really feel like there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I know a lot of my friends who go through similar struggles feel the same way. We can feel stuck or lost in the world and are seeing everything happening around us but not experiencing it simply because our mental illnesses won’t let us. Mental illness is truly a battle. You can’t expect to win a battle unless you’re prepared to fight. That’s the key to helping yourself through the darkness, you have to fight. Fight for your sanity, fight for your friends/family, fight for your happiness, fight for yourself. You are not the only one going through this battle. A scary amount of people have their swords drawn and are constantly going head to head with monsters bigger and more vicious than the last.
The hardest part may be that you never know when the battle will come to an end. Correction, the hardest part is knowing that it may never come to an end, mental illness is a lifelong battle. There will be times where the fighting simmers and you can rest easy knowing you won this round, but those monsters you spent months maybe even years fighting off will come back. There’s no telling when, why, or for how long but at some point they will return stronger than before. It’s an exhausting journey, but you can’t give up. It may feel like you’re alone in the battle, but you aren’t. You may feel helpless, but you aren’t. In order to overcome your struggles you have to make a conscious decision and push yourself to break through the darkness you feel trapped in. This may sound harsh, but you can not baby yourself during situations like this.
I have managed to get to a good place in my life where I feel more in control of my anxiety and depression. I am more aware of how I am feeling and more conscious of when they start to creep up on me. I am absolutely no expert and am fully aware that my battle is completely different than yours. With that being said, there are a few things that really helped pull me back to reality when I felt lost.
For starters, I talked about it more. Believe it or not, I hate sharing my feelings and having people feel bad for me. What goes on in my head is my business and I don’t want to talk about it, but I pushed myself to open up to some close friends and it felt really good. I didn’t feel so alone, I knew that I now had people who knew what was going on with me and they were all so willing to help in whatever way they could.
When I was in my low, I was perfectly content laying in my dark room watching Netflix by myself. All day, all night, through the night, and then the little sleep I did get would just set me up to do it all again. I had friends inviting me out but I chose not to go with them. I thought being alone was better than being the “sad” friend in the group and bringing everyone else down. Eventually, one of my friends who I had just bailed on showed up at my house and forced me out. We didn’t do anything exciting and I was annoyed as hell, but I needed it. After that I started to push past those negative voices in my head telling me every reason not to go hang out with people or socialize and slowly started getting my life back.
Getting yourself on a basic routine is something that can be very helpful. It gives you control over at least one thing, and it gets you out of your bed. Make sure you go to your classes, job, or maybe even hit the gym. Keep your body and mind active, be present in the world.
The big one that I learned the hard way is to avoid alcohol or any drugs really. All they do is numb your pain and once that numbness fades it hurts more than it did before. Easier said than done, I know. I’m not saying don’t drink at all. Go out and enjoy yourself and if you want to drink then have a drink, but don’t drink to forget or drink to be happy. It won’t work.
Mental illnesses are not fun. They bring you to places you never knew existed. They bury you in darkness. The best thing you can do is talk about it. Tell someone! It can be your mom, sister, cousin, therapist, hair stylist, or even your dog. You gotta start somewhere. Yes it is difficult to let people into that part of your life but you’re not doing it for them… you’re doing it for you.
I recommend that you check in on the people you love. You never know what they are going through, and although people handle things differently, I know that no matter what they are going through it would mean the world if you simply told them that you are there for them. It is the little things that you can do to show them that they are not alone in whatever they are going through. And PLEASE encourage them to seek help because sometimes this isn’t something they can do by themselves.
Honeyy Listenn 