The importance of good mental health is something we tend to underestimate until we experience a struggle with it. I think It affects us in more ways than we could ever possibly understand.
Some won’t understand it. But that’s why it is our own responsibility to take it seriously. It’s not up to others. They don’t understand the in's and out's of a headspace that isn’t theirs, no more than we can understand one that isn’t ours.
Mental health is something we need to talk about.
Speaking out is not a call for sympathy or self-centred attention. It’s a call for social normalization. It absolutely astounds me that the figures of sufferers are so high (1 in 5 Australian’s - according to Mental Health Australia), yet there is still a stigma of shame attached. Isn’t it mind-blowing that someone’s very own brain can drive them to suicide? Our mental health is just as important as our physical health, we only underestimate that because it is easier to cover up.
I’m not going to lie; this year for me has been really rough. I’ve had to make a serious effort to help myself through it. I’m fortunately in a place where I have a good (term used loosely) relationship with my anxiety- in that, I have become familiar with it enough to recognise triggers or little symptoms that may grow into something greater. I’ve tried and tested so many avenues of help and I found one that works for me. I know how to help myself through it if it gets worse. It’s not easy because it takes work, but it’s work that I'm willing to do. Maintaining a good headspace when your brain is chemically wired to encourage you to think otherwise takes effort. Don’t underestimate the work involved. Go talk to someone and get that shit sorted.
Earlier on in the year, my anxiety hit me like a truck. It left me shook! My friend and I were on our way to hike a mountain and on the car ride there, out of nowhere, head-to-toe I was completely overcome. My body went into panic mode. I hadn’t experienced an attack of that calibre since I was a child and my friend had to pull over. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, me hunched over with my heart racing a million miles an hour, body viciously shaking, ready to vomit, and my hands felt like lead I remember them feeling sooo heavy. This attack was insane! My beautiful friend was nothing but amazing. She was hilarious too but I couldn’t laugh at that moment, I can now.
“Don’t worry, I get like this all the time. This happens to me when I try to brush my teeth!” Said in the most sympathetic voice to. Bless.
We got home and I stepped out of the car. My legs were shaking like mad and I was expecting the shakes to have calmed down by that point, this was unusual for me. I ended up spending the entire day under a blanket in bed utterly exhausted, recovering from something that sent my body in overdrive. And my goodness, thank buddha for Deliveroo, I only just had the strength to walk to the front door!
This is just an example of how unpredictable this shit is and why it needs to be taken seriously. Our mental health can be affected by so many different things. It can stem from our childhood conditioning, traumatic events we experience, unbelievable things we witness etc. It can be triggered literally out of nowhere. Asking for help is an act of power because in many cases it is one of the hardest things we can do. But by asking for help we take back our control, we put ourselves first and we help others to help themselves. Never underestimate that.