Some of you may know these people. They have a good steady job, good friends, good health, have everything figured out, have a master's degree from a well known university, always cheerful.. But, behind the curtain this person have issues, he always feels blue and unhappy. The reason he's unhappy because he always feel pressured. Everywhere they go. From their family, friends, partners, boss, etc. But nobody notice and he never tells anybody. A model whose picture is in every cover, smiles in every picture, but unhappy because of the stress on keeping a "good body". A popular athlete at school, every guy wants to be him every girl wants to be with him who have trouble even getting out of bed every morning. Or maybe you are that person.
How many times have you ever feel depressed and people tell you to just "get over it" or "you're overreacting, don't be such a drama queen." oh, or my personal favorite "you just need to pray, ask god for guidance". While those are good advice, it is not that simple. Mental health is not something you just "get over". It is a serious issue that people struggle with every single day.
Mental health affects how we think, feel, and responds to stress. It affects our social and daily life. So when you are not mentally in a good place, it can affect your life. And when it is start to bother you, go see a therapist. It is not a sin to seek help from a therapist. The stigma that seeing a therapist means you're crazy is ridiculous. I actually heard parents of a bipolar adolescence denying that their kid have a mental problem because they don't want the embarrassment of seeing a therapist. I have people asking me "but, I have such small problems, will a therapist even bother listening to my problems?". The answer is, yes, they will. Sometimes the small stuff will build up with if we don't deal with it. So that is why, seeking help is important, because you are important.
When your body is sick, you don't just sit and do nothing, right? You go see a doctor, you take a medicine, you drink warm tea. Whatever it is so you can be fit again. Then, you should do the same thing to your mental health. Because, it is just as important. Research shows with good mental health, you can even have healthier body. Some illness like high blood pressure is related to stress.
That is why getting help is a necessity. Maybe first you can talk to someone, a friend, family, your partner. Sometimes just talking will help put the weight of your shoulder. When it keeps going on and starts to affect your life, get a professional help. Not talking about your problems don't make your problems go away, it will keep building up. After talking, maybe it will help if you take a break and do something that you love to do. Pick up a hobby, go someplace new. People cope in different ways and that is completely okay.
As for everybody, please be aware of the people around you. When they need help, listen to them. Sometimes what they need is to be listened. They need support and they need to know that it will be okay. To be completely honest with you, I myself have not been in a good place lately, and I have been lucky enough to have people I can trust enough to talk about my issues (cheers to them, they know who they are). I was having a rough day, so I told a friend that I need to talk. Her respond immediately was asking me to meet her, the next day we spent the day together. I think that is powerful. I am lucky enough I studied psychology so I understand what's going on. And that is why I feel like writing this. People should be aware that being healthy inside and out is important.
I will end it with this; it is okay not to be okay, it is okay to feel like you're at the your lowest point of your life. It will get better, it always does :)
Love,
A
