Let's Talk About It

“Mental health affects every aspect of your life. It’s not just this neat little issue you can put into a box.” — Shannon Purser

Mental health is something we hear so often, but yet it's something that isn't discussed enough in certain communities. Growing up, I always heard about different mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, but never in depth. I was never told about how they could possibly affect me if I were to ever experience them or any other mental health conditions. People tend to give you "words of encouragement", but at times, they don't actually sit down and talk about the struggles some may face when it comes to mental health. So let's talk about it.

By the time I graduated from high school, I realized that is was taboo to speak on almost everything mental health related. One thing I also noticed that you could go through life thinking that the way you handled life was your "norm" ,but in actuality it was a sign/symptom of you experiencing a mental condition. While you were thinking that you are simply a hard worker, you actually use any kind of work to distract yourself as a coping mechanism. You think that you're just an indecisive person, but you are afraid to make decisions because it may have a negative result. The point I'm trying to make is that we don't truly know ourselves as well as we should because we don't discuss the things that are the most important. The places and people that we should be comfortable speaking about our thoughts and how we see our everyday interactions (i.e church and family) is literally the last place we have those kinds of conversations. Why is that?

Now this isn't everywhere and everyone, but in certain communites, it's looked down upon to have these thoughts. While you're young, your emotions and needs are often overlooked because of this. You couldn't possibly be 12 years old and depressed because you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and a life worth living. Right? You have anxiety, but it's because you don't pray enough. Right? As a woman who is navigating her faith and making efforts to grow a genuine relationship with God, I 100% beleive that the church is a place of healing where the broken are welcome. With that being said, we should take time to look into mental health and it's effect on our communities. Yes prayer is extremely important. That's practially the hotline for you and the Lord, but faith without works is dead correct? You can't simply pray for God to help you through it without you taking the necessary steps to conquer and cope in a healthy way! Your community, whether it's your church, friends, or family, these should be enviorments that help you push through and conquer your battles. Let's not forget about therapy..... yes people I said T H E R A P Y (I had to say it a little louder for the ones in the back).

Too often you will hear, "I don't want to talk about my issues with a stranger." I get it, but think about it this way: with the way people hate when people they know are in their business, wouldn't you rather tell a complete stranger knowing that it wouldn't go anywhere past the four walls of that room you're in and the feedback wouldn't be bias? I can't speak for anyone, but that's a reliever for me. As you get older, you may start to realize that your emotions have been ready to boil over like a pot that's been on the stove for too long. Let your willingness to understand and help over power your first thought to judge and gaslight when it comes to the topic of mental health. Let's talk About it.

Song of the Week: Better by Jessica Reedy