One of the most important things that you can do for yourself, if you are struggling with mental health, is to open up to others and ask for help. This can also be one of the most difficult things to do. For me, I was afraid to admit to people that I was suffering from depression because I feared that people would judge me, not believe me, or think of me differently. When I finally opened up about my mental health battles, I was met with resounding love and support. If you are struggling with your mental health and considering opening up to ask for help and support, I highly encourage you to do so. I want to prepare you for some of the unexpected reactions that I encountered and how to best handle them.
1. Skepticism
Sadly, a few people were skeptical when I told them that I was struggling with anxiety and depression. In one sense, I could understand why they felt this way because I was very good at hiding my emotions. But on the other hand, I wished that these people would have kept their doubts to themselves because I was only asking for support. When people were skeptical, I didn't try to explain anything and let those people go. Ultimately I knew how I was feeling and I chose to only surrounded myself with people that loved me and wanted to help me get better.
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When I opened up about my mental health struggles, I was most afraid that people wouldn't believe me, but I can count on one hand the number of people that were skeptical. I am thankful that I only had a few of these unpleasant interactions.
2. Awkwardly wanting to help but not knowing what to say or do
I had a lot of friends and family that love me dearly reach out and want to help. The trouble was that they were unsure of what to actually say or do to help me. They were afraid that if they said the wrong thing, then that might make me worse.
I am so thankful for these people because their outpouring of love and support meant so much to me. When someone told me they wanted to offer their support, but I could tell they felt awkward, I was sure to thank them for saying something. I recognized they had to be brave to talk about such tough subjects. I told them that above all their friendship and love was helping me through a tough time. I also knew that on "bad days" I could always reach out to these people and they would be there for me in a heartbeat.
3. Sharing their own experience
Above anything else, the largest response I received when I opened up about mental health was empathy. I put my heart on my sleeves and shared my struggles. People went out of their way to also share their stories with me. This taught me two things. The first is that although we as humans have different experiences, our emotions are remarkably similar. The second is that although it often felt like it, I was not alone in the mental health struggle. In a time that I felt so isolated, it was incredibly comforting to hear that people I trusted and respected were going through very similar experiences. Knowing that I was not alone in this battle really helped me make it through. When people opened up to me, I made sure to thank them for being so vulnerable and letting them know how important it was to know that I was never alone.
