Its you, its me, its all of us. When we talk about mental health, we aren’t talking about “the crazies” or the “abnormal(s),” still not entirely certain what the definition of those two categories are anyway; we are talking about every single person. Just like we are all either physically healthy or unhealthy, we are all either mentally healthy or unhealthy. There is so much to be said for those who seek help, who want to change their lives for the better, who talk about the hard stuff. That takes courage, it takes vulnerability, it takes strength. Struggling is not synonymous with weakness; we all struggle. Weakness is our inability to recognize the struggle as universal and change the way we interface with it.
We are all faced with difficulties at some point in our lives. It is not a matter of “if,” it is a matter of “when.” But we can no longer allow those situations to define us. We must fight for our mental health. We must take care of ourselves mentally in the same way we strive to care for ourselves physically.
The definition of Mental Health is as follows:
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov )
In other words, to be considered ‘mentally healthy’ one must not have impaired functioning in any area of their lives. Normal stressors include but are not limited to, work, home commitments and social engagements, money, even health… Normal is considered anything within your usual realm, outside of that we can conclude that you are out of the norm and therefore subjected to additional stressors which could require further help or assistance.
Whether you are dealing with a chronic mental health disorder, whether you recently experienced a stressful or traumatic situation and are dealing with residual effects, or whether you find yourself just wanting to change your story you have a right to be heard, understood and validated. Your feelings matter. Reaching out and asking for help is never easy; going down the road of unpacking your story can be painful, but also incredibly beautiful. You can’t change what has already happened, and you can’t control the future, but you can change your perception. You have the ability to write a story you will love, to live a life you will love. You can choose today to begin your new journey and do something you have yet to do. Even a small step in the right direction is better than inaction. It is often said, “your speed doesn’t matter, forward is forward.” Reach out to someone, connect, take time to breathe, go on that trip you’ve always wanted to, spend time outside, read a good book, allow yourself time to rest, enjoy your favorite food, and always know that everyone deserves to have a good therapist to talk to. Your mental health is worth it, and you are worth investing in.