Sharing – How to Explain Your Mental Illness and Share Your Mental Health Story
What a loaded question, and one that is so hard to answer.
“How can I explain to my family and friends what I’m going through? They just don’t understand, and I’m struggling to explain what I’m experiencing.”
The rest is a pretty lengthy read, and it should be. There’s a lot to consider around that question, including how much to share, what not to share, who to share it with, and maybe the most basic reminder there is, that we can’t control how other people react or respond to us.
In short, it’s complicated. Not impossible, just complicated, because mental health issues are complicated, and you are a complicated individual. (We all are).
The best thing I took away from this article? Be honest. If you’re not OK, don’t say you are. If the person in front of you doesn’t get it, keep being honest until you find someone who does. The people who want to support you can’t do that if they don’t know what’s really happening.
Go read the whole thing, as they say.
