Mental Health

Something I have been thinking about a lot recently is mental health. Why don’t we talk about mental health more often? There are several reasons that I think people choose not to discuss mental health. I’d like to talk about them below. Let me preface this post by saying that I believe mental health should be discussed more regularly.

Reasons people don’t talk about mental health:

1. They Don’t Know How

There are probably a lot of people out there that don’t necessarily know where to begin when discussing mental health. It’s possible that some people don’t even understand their feelings/emotions enough to discuss them. Maybe they aren’t sure if what they are feeling is depression, anxiety, etc. I think the key here is to start small. 

Maybe start by admitting “I’ve been really down lately,” or “I’ve been feeling unsettled lately.” You don’t have to start with big statements like “I have mild depression.” You can simply start by expressing how you are feeling. Once you start recognizing these feelings you can start addressing why you may be feeling them.

2. Fear

Another reason that you may not talk about your mental health is because you are afraid of what people will think or say when you tell them. If your friends want to judge you for feeling down or having anxiety then those are not your true friends. If your friends are true, then they will be there to listen to how you feel. Honestly, you might even find that your friends have similar feelings to you. 

I promise that once you express your feelings to the people closest to you that you won’t regret it. Because if they are unsupportive then you just found out who to kick to the curb. If they are supportive, then you have someone to vent to. 

3. Taught to Suppress

There are a good number of people that were taught to suppress their emotions when   they were growing up. This could have a lot to do with the way their parents raised them. If you don’t talk about your feelings and you bottle them up, then eventually it’s just going to build up to a point where you completely break down.

Also, if you are taught to push down your feelings from a young age, then you have kids and teach them the same things, the vicious cycle continues. You have to address it now rather than later. 

4. There is Something Wrong

There is a stigma that people who are anxious or depressed have something wrong with them. There is the judgment that because you go to therapy or because you are on medication that you are messed up in some way. That is absolutely incorrect. We are all human and we all have feelings.

We all have good and bad days. Figuring out what you are feeling can help you address things. For example: If you know that you feel anxious today you can then try to address your thoughts and why they are making you anxious. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to therapy or with discussing medication options with your doctor if you feel you might need them to help with your anxiety or depression.

You can’t judge other people when everyone has emotions-we are all human. If anything, we should be a listening ear for others-a support system. For those of you who don’t want to address your mental health-ask yourself this-If your doctor told you that you need to cut back on certain foods and start exercising more because your physical health depended on it-Would you do what the doctor asked?

If you answered yes to this question, then think about why you don’t want to address your mental health, because it is just as important as your physical health. Now I’m not saying that you have to go to therapy or take medication in order to address your mental health. What I’m saying is that it is healthy to address and discuss your feelings.

It’s good to recognize how you are feeling. Don’t let your feelings overwhelm you-learn to recognize and address them. We need to stop avoiding our feelings and start addressing our mental health regularly. I’m sure we have all felt depressed or anxious at some point in our lives. Please know that you are not alone.

Your feelings are important, your mental health is important. Your physical health is important. You are important. Addressing your mental health is a form of self care. It’s time for all of us to talk about our mental health. Whether it’s with friends, family, a significant other, a therapist or even to ourselves.