This post was submitted by a young adult dealing with symptoms from depression and anxiety with the hope of encouraging other’s while sharing her story about . . .
Mental Health in Today’s Culture
Today there are a lot of popular web-based mental health causes. To Write Love on Her Arms, Love is Louder, and Active Minds are advocacy organizations focused on spreading the word about mental health and trying to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health disorders and concerns. I have “liked” these organizations on my Facebook account and look at their posts daily. I find news articles, advocacy materials, personal stories, events, and inspirational stories. This is a comfortable and low stress way to educate myself about mental health and continue to spread the word to others. I have begun to re-post some of the links I find and I credit these types of organizations for my ability to post mental health related materials without being embarrassed or scared of what people may think. Yes, I have the mental health illnesses of depression and anxiety and I am trying to help myself and others who are struggling as well.
What I find fascinating about these causes using the internet as a platform is not only that it is now an excellent way to spread information quickly but also the enormous response it generates. Sure, there are those who will post very negative comments on these sites or on Facebook. There are those who will criticize the cause and those who are diagnosed with mental health. To some people, mental health is not a “disease” and those of us who have been diagnosed with mental health disorders are said to be weak, crazy, unchristian, or looking for attention. I believe there will always be people who will only see the negative and criticize others no matter the subject. So I would invite you to join me in looking past those comments and focus on the incredible response of people who understand and identify with what is being said. So many people are desperate for someone to understand them when they are battling a mental illness. A common characteristic in these illnesses is a sense of going through it alone. TWLOHA’s slogan per say is that everyone has a story and each person’s story matters and is important to be shared. The response to this is a growing collection of stories of people surviving against the odds, pursuing a life worth living even in the face of what often seems insurmountable. People’s stories inspire me to continue on when my illness is telling me to quit trying. The person sharing the story also feels empowered by their ability to share honestly and then receive a positive response. I like to remember the simple fact that my story may help someone else and at the same time, I can receive encouragement in my own struggle.
So share your story. Post on one of these sites or on Facebook. Post somewhere you can be anonymous if you want. Your story doesn’t have to have a name to it to be inspiring. Give your struggle some purpose if you are having a hard time understanding what the purpose is of having to go through this time. If you don’t want to share, which is fine by the way, do some surfing on the web. See what resources are out there and connect to the mental health community. I hope you find it as helpful and inspiring as I do.
Anonymous
