Harvard-trained psychologist: How to check in on your friends
Hold Still: A Story of Suicide– A review of Hold Still by Nina LaCour
We are not getting enough touch.– This is not an easy subject for survivors, I know. The science, however, is the science. For survivors it’s about trust, and there are far too few people in our lives who we can trust.
“Why Was My Mental Heartbreak Not Taken as Seriously as My Physical Heartbreak?” This is a good question. Why is it easy for us to support someone getting surgery, and encourage them to see experts and take medication as needed, but not do exactly the same for a mental health diagnosis? Why do people feel…
Ever since I have opened up about my depression, people keep approaching me to understand more granularly, what I go through on a day-to-day basis. In a way, this has helped many depression survivors understand closely, what they too are going through, and why. These are the guys that need help, but have forever been…
Getting kids help as early as possible gives them a much better chance to have less depression and fewer effects as adults. Imagine how many people might have been able to develop mentally healthy strategies instead of devolving into worse conditions if it was common for kids to have access to mental health resources?
Please, don’t ignore signs of depression and mental health struggles in kids. Yes, they can be resilient, but the research clearly shows that they aren’t as resilient as we think they are, and waiting to get access to help is doing more damage.
In this case, it is better to be safe. The worst thing that happens is a kid gets some time to talk to a therapist who determines that it’s not depression but something else. This is not a bad thing, even if the stigma surrounding it says it is.
So let’s get this out there. Tomorrow is a day to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. It’s an opportunity for anyone who is dealing with mental health issues to see that there are many people who get it, and do support them, even if only virtually. It’s also a day to be reminded, sometimes literally, that there is still far too much stigma, and far too little investment, in mental health. That’s not fun. That’s not uplifting.
Taking care of yourself is an incredibly important part of looking out for your own mental health. Tomorrow is also Saturday. If your mental health will be better off by you not being online tomorrow, go do exactly that. Go enjoy your weekend, and know that I see you, and I feel what you’re saying. Your frustration is my frustration too. Being tired of the stigma, and how hard it is for people to get help is normal. I’m exhausted. I’m tired of talking about it, tired of reading about it, and tired of seeing stories of people who can’t get help when they need it, all around the world. I’m also tired of all the people on social media who make talking about it even harder than it already is, who want to troll, or just create drama because it’s never enough for them.
Again, I’m exhausted. I also know how incredibly lucky I was the get help, and I want that same thing available for everyone. So, I’ll find away to continue talking about it here, while also taking care of my own mental health. I hope you will too, even if we don’t all take part in the same events.
The monthly Survivors Fellowship meets in London on the last Thursday of every month at Hinde Street Methodist Church for male survivors only; that’s this Thursday 24th September this month, 7-8pm. (Exit Bond Street Tube on the Jubilee Line, cross over the road and walk down James Street where you’ll see restaurant tables on the…
A support group in your phone. Healing for mental illness comes one text at a time Colleges Expand Their Reach to Address Mental Health Issue Avon photographer shares exhibit about mental illness America has a Mental Health Problem and Schools can Help Fix it Read Michael Gerson’s sermon sharing his struggle with depression Teaching Mental…
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