Mental Illness: Depression, Anxiety, Psychosis, etc

Mental Illness is such a broad subject, but it is as real as real can be. 

For someone living with a mental illness, it’s a daily struggle and a constant uphill battle.

It’s not like a broken leg.  You can’t see it, but It is there.

Depression, Anxiety, panic attacks, psychotic episode, schizophrenia, and so much more.  They all come with their own sets or brain malfunction.  

The person living with it, trues to break the cycle daily.  1 in 5 people on this planet lives with a mental illness.  So we have to start being more accepting of it and less judgemental of it.  Tenderness, Love and Care is what we all need to hopefully reach a lower statistic.

I was touched by mental illness, more than once.  

First with a burnout.  We women are asked to do it all.  Work full time, be a mother, be super women and only smile through it all.  

From May 2016 to December 2018, I was working for a company, I had  young 2 kids, a dog, a house, a husband and all that would normally seem like normal.  

I was happy, thriving and working hard. Trying to settle back into a normal life.  We were building some new foundations, after trying to lives abroad.

We had sold our previous buildings and we’re trying to find a new home, whilst living back at my mom’s house.  (Thank god for her)

We found our new forever home and moved in November 2016. 

My husband was starting a new business at the same time.  I was working, to make sure we had food on the table.  Raising our daughters.  Daycare. 

My body had other plans for me. My mind had other plans for me… The longer I was in this position the worst I felt. The more my head was in a spin. That’s when my body shut down.   

December 2017 came around and a full meltdown came tumbling down. I was sitting at the doctor’s office and she asked me if I was taking too much on…? To which I responded by unleashing a flood of tears. I didn’t know where it was coming from, but it was there building up inside me. I spent Christmas 2017, just in a spin. Unable to see people. I had retracted myself from my friends and family. I just couldn’t deal with who I was, where I was and where I was going. My life had no meaning, other than being what had become my reality.

January 2018 came around and I went back to my doctor. I was supposed to go back to work, after the holidays… And I just couldn’t bare the thought of returning, or simply going out of my house.. without bursting into tears. Without being fearful of the person that was living inside me.

My doctor signed me off work for several months. During which I started not being able to get out of the house, see anyone, I wanted to die and end my life. At that point I realized I had to do something, see someone, take something to help. I was prescribed anti-depressants, which I refused initially, but resigned myself to them in the end and assigned to see a psychologist. They all helped in the end.

Years Later, another episode or mental illness came kicking in, through my separation from my then husband.  

That took it’s toll.  Panic attacks, depression from my current situation, deep sadness.  

All those moments that crashed into a version of me I didn’t recognize.  

Each time it took many months to get back up.  To rebuild who I am.  Return to who I know I am and who I can be.  Take myself out of my victimization.  

Build myself into a better verison of myself, each time.

When you go against the grain of who you truly are, in every sphere of your life, at some point it will catch up to you and find a way to break you down, to help you get back to your essence.

Mental health is important. It can make you or break you. You must listen to that little voice inside you that tells you you’re on the right path and / or doing the right thing, or not.

Talking about it is important. Realizing there is a problem is the first step. Never let anyone dissuade you from having a healthy mental state.  

Episodes like those are not the same for everyone.   Especially if you have a medical diagnosis.  They shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Find help from a medical professional.  Don’T wait.  

If you are, have or think you’re living through any type of mental illness, find the right help.  As there is help out there for everyone.  

You are not weak for living this or for asking for help.  On the contrary.  It makes you courageous, strong and willing to fight for the person that you are.  Which is nothing less than perfect.

Have you lived with a mental illness?

Do you know someone who has?

Don’t wait. Talk about it to someone. 

Find help. Speak to a friend or family members. Find a group to speak to. Cry. Write. Go to the gym. Shout. Let it out! Those are some of the ways to realign yourself with yourself.

Keep you Mental Health Top of mind. Without it, the body doesn’t follow. Be you’re true self, always! You deserve to be the best verison of yourself. More or less 80 years in an unhappy body is a long time to be unhappy. You are worth the effort and the time.

#MentalHealth #Mentalhealthawareness