Mental Health Awareness Day

Just because you cannot physically see a persons ailment, does not mean that they are suffering any less.  Mental health is complicated and can manifest in many different shapes and forms, but it can be just as disabling, and in some cases, even more disabling than physical disabilities.  I feel it is difficult for others to understand mental health issues because the suffering of it cannot be seen by the naked eye.  With that said, it's days like today, "World Mental Health Day," that are so important to bring awareness to mental health issues.

As I openly discussed in my first blog, I experience anxiety, depression and even some slight obsessive compulsive behaviours.  It has taken my 30 years to finally decide to address the up and down battle of my mental health.  When I would be at my best and my happiest, I would neglect the fact that I had gone through a period of anxiety and depression and I would tell myself that I was okay and didn't need any help.  My best friend of many years urged me on many occasions to seek help from a counsellor but I  would always tell him that I felt fine and if I ever hit a low again then I would consider it at that time (which, honestly... I never did because this whole thought process was a cycle for me). 

It's weird you know, when I feel anxious my negative thoughts feed off of each other in a way where I become obsessive over the things I am thinking about, which in turn make me feel out of control and depressed.  Being in this state of mind and dwelling over the negative thoughts makes me not want to interact with the outside world at all.  I lose interest in the things I enjoy, like working out and socializing with friends and family.  It makes me want to lay in bed all day and eat junk food, which gives me that slight satisfaction I need to feel good (but doesn't make me feel any better in the long run).  It is a bad spiral which is harder to come out of if I don't take control of it right away.    

I've decided that I've had enough of this up and down battle and that I am going to take control of my own mental health for the better!  With the support of my family, friends, and my psychologist I am working towards controlling my mental health and not letting my mental health control me!  It's a hard process and it requires patience, but I know that if I don't take care of my mental health as much as I do my physical... then I am not going to have any kind of health at all.  

This is a really hard topic, and it's pretty scary and vulnerable for me to talk about this openly but I think it's important to address it because... it happens!! 

If you suffer from mental health at all, I would encourage you to be kind to yourself while you become more mindful of your own thought patterns.  You won't be able to make the change until you're ready to make that change - so please be brave and address the concerns before it's too late.  I can tell you from experience that the longer you wait to heal yourself, the longer it will take to recover.  Have faith and know that you can overcome whatever you put your mind to... and remember, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

-Fisgard Lighthouse, Victoria BC-