That’s depression. That empty feeling that nothing matters and the inability to feel anything because it doesn’t matter. But, it’s hard to express that. It’s difficult to come up with a header image that displays that when we talk about depression. I’ve said before, our default image to use when talking about depression is the young, white woman lying or sitting looking sad.
The parents trying to navigate the maze of mental healthcare while also trying to work to help pay for the care that winds up not being covered and be there for their other children as well. It’s a lot. All of that stress isn’t good for anyone’s health, mental and physical. Imagine trying to support a child with getting mental healthcare while also needing your own care, or dealing with illnesses.
It’s a mess. I don’t envy parents who find themselves in this position. If you know any parents in this boat, maybe see what they need. Find some way to take a little stress off. Provide a meal or two, run some errands for them, etc. They need it more than they will probably ever admit.
You can access the launch page here – https://mentalhealthcareworks.org
Taking a quick look around it appears there are some stories, links to resources for finding help, and some advice on talking to your physician or helping a friend take the first steps toward getting help. I’m sure there will be additions to the site now that it is life, so I might suggest bookmarking it for future reference, especially so you have it handy when someone you know is looking for help.
I probably still loop back through some of these stages at various times, but it’s not part of my daily life anymore. Take this list as a sign to take your time and give yourself grace for how long it takes while celebrating the small victories along the way, but also know that it’s worth the time and effort. If I can find the peace and calmness that I have now, imperfect as it is, you can too.
There’s no real difference. I should know. I was sexually abused by an older minor. There was no creepy old man, only an older and bigger kid who threatened me. Someone in my own family. Mall parking lots, school, and our neighborhood park weren’t the places where I was not safe, my family was.
And I had no way to tell anyone, because I wasn’t taught about that being child abuse. Only strange men in white vans giving out candy abused children. Whatever was happening in my family wasn’t to be discussed with anyone. It wasn’t, and it went on for years.
Maybe we should do better with understanding the ways kids abuse other kids, and talking openly about it. The link below can help.
I’ve seen many mentions recently about anxiety being a normal response to our current world. This is also a contradiction to what much of the self-help and positivity industry would tell us. Spend any time on social media and you’ll see plenty of messages about gratitude, finding joy and purpose, and the silver lining in any situation.
What you won’t hear is that there are situations that SHOULD make you angry, anxious, and sad. But there are.
