One in five Americans will be affected by a mental health condition in their lifetime. And, those mental health conditions, such as mood disorders, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder, are the third most common cause of hospitalization in the US for those ages 18 to 44.
I bet you didn't know that the month of May marks Mental Health Awareness Month. I can tell you why you probably didn't know: it's because we don't talk about the M-word. There are so many articles on the internet about happiness -- how to find happiness, all the things to do to make your days happier, what to do to make yourself happy after a crappy day. The internet is full of these. But the internet is not full of people talking about why we're not happy. The internet is not full of vulnerable people, sitting down and writing, sharing their experiences, their struggles, their story of mental health.
I used to be so afraid to admit my hardships to anyone. The world made me feel like I had to be this positive, bubbly person 24/7. I was always described as this person; to the point where I whole heartedly believed I had to be that bubbly person always. I hid my depression and anxiety so deeply that it landed me in the psychiatric ward of a hospital about a year ago. I let it bottle up within me, rather than speak about it or do anything to help myself. I was in denial to myself about how bad everything was. I was so fucking scared to talk to anybody about where I was mentally in my life.
Now, I am not ashamed of my story. I am not afraid to put these words and my story out into the universe. I am not scared to admit I have thought about ending my own life. I want to talk about it all now. I want to tell you about the small pill I have to remember to swallow every morning (and how hard it is to remember to take it, even a year later). I want people to know there are ways help yourself get better, and you aren't alone.
As a result of talking about my mental health conditions, I have gotten to a point in my life where I can say to someone, "I need a minute. I'm feeling very anxious right now." Yes, mental health is a touchy subject at times. Yes, it can be a scary, emotional conversation, but we can't keep avoiding the M-word and the relevance it has to each one of us in some way.
To anyone out there who may be listening, let's talk this month about mental health. It doesn't take much to start, but it does take one voice.
