Let's Talk: Mental Health Awareness

How to Be a Real Advocate for Those Who Struggle With a Mental Illness

September is National Suicide Prevention month and with that there is much awareness brought to social media, but how much of that is actually aware?

If you don't know me or you don't know me very well, hi I'm Emma and I live with a mental illness every day. I want to be better at talking about it so here I am using my (small) platform to bring attention to something very personal. Ever since I was about three years old I have struggled with a diagnosed Panic Disorder. “A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.” (Mayo Clinic, 2018) It is completely normal for a human to experience a panic attack 1-2 times in their lifetime. It can become a disorder when it is a common repeat occurrence.

As a person who first-hand experiences the effects of a mental illness, I have a lot to say about the performative activism I see every day. Especially during the month of September, there are many people speaking on topics they know almost nothing about. I am not here to demonize anyone, but to let you know how you can be better.

First, let’s talk about online presences versus real life. One frustration that I have when scrolling through social media and seeing “mental health awareness” posts is seeing people post for themselves. I’ll clarify, these are the people who say “always feel free to reach out” in a cute font with a heart next to it but that is where the activism stops. It always makes me laugh when I see people whose entire personalities are built around putting others down, and then they post to their Instagram story an infographic about reaching out. My main issue with it is, at the end of the day it is selfish because you are only posting that to say, “look at me I’m a good person” and then do nothing else. I have expressed this thought before and I will again: people do not act on their negative thoughts because they did not know they could “reach out.” They act on their negative thoughts because they don’t feel comfortable sharing themselves with others. If you truly cared about mental health, you would live your life in a way where anyone struggling with a mental illness wouldn’t doubt for a second that you are someone they could trust and confide in. Let's normalize reaching out to our friends and family instead of waiting for them to come to you or do something drastic. Who cares if it's uncomfortable or awkward? Even if they don't seem on the outside receptive to you asking how they're doing , it could really have helped them internally.

Let me also be very clear, I am in no way just pointing fingers. I myself fall short of this every single day. I too continuously grow day after day and learn from my mistakes so I can be that friend people can rely on. It's hard to let go of such common habits like gossiping about others or not always being the first person to run to someone who is sitting alone.

Another point I want to bring up is how desensitization has played a role in talking about mental illnesses. It has become so normalized to talk about mental illnesses casually that no one really notices how damaging it could actually be. For example, I can't count the amount of times I've overheard someone or someone has said to me "ugh I am so depressed" or "ugh lol my anxiety is crazy right now" or "I had/am having a mental breakdown." You might be thinking, who cares that's how everyone talks, but that right there is the problem. When someone is actually struggling with anxiety or going through a mental breakdown, it loses meaning because those words are so overused. How are they meant to ask for help when the severity of these situations have been blurred by modern slang? Instead, I wish we could normalize replacing those words like 'anxiety' and 'depression' with 'worry' and 'sadness.' This only applies to passing feelings, if you are diagnosed or feel you might be diagnosed with anxiety or depression that is different. I know it's hard to breakdown these habits, but it's just something to think about and maybe try sometime.

For my friends reading this who are also struggling with a mental illness, I have some advice that has worked for me and I hope can help you too.

Speaking to a therapist or a counselor has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself. It is terrifying being vulnerable with a person you don’t know well, but being able to be heard, really heard, can do wonders for you. When I started going a few years ago, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders because I wasn’t carrying around so many thoughts with me each day.

The next advice I would give is journaling. I cannot stress enough how much journaling has saved me during a mental breakdown. I express how i'm feeling through words and abstract doodles and as I do this I can feel the tension being released. Refer to my last post [Benefits of Keeping a Journal] to read more about the positives to journaling.

My last advice is to keep up with healthy habits. I have been in dark places before where you feel like you don't even have enough energy in you to sit up, but if you can, you have to push through it. Fight the thoughts that tell you to stay in bed longer or not keep up with your responsibilities. Some activities I like are journaling (omg how many times am I gonna say that lol), embroidering, working out, cooking, and walks. That last one has been especially effective. Sometimes I just need to breathe fresh air and clear my head. The more consistent you are with your hobbies, the easier it will be for you to use them to fight the negative thoughts.

I hope this post has helped at least one person. As always like and comment if you enjoyed :)