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Sharing – Talking Openly About Anxiety
I recently had a conversation with someone dealing with anxiety and trying to learn more about it. She desperately needs to know that what she’s experiencing is something that many other people are going through and have gone through. So, I’ve told her about my anxiety. I’ve told her about the times my brain just won’t turn off, and my heart beats faster for no apparent reason at all. I’ve told her about the days when I struggle to remember things because my mind is racing so fast it doesn’t process things I just heard.
My wife has been there for those conversations. She’s heard me talk about things I’ve not really told her because I don’t want her to worry. Does she worry now? Maybe. Does it really matter to me?
Yes, it does. I don’t want her to worry, but I’ll trade that for letting someone we both care about know that they are not alone. This is why we need to talk about it. No one should feel alone and ashamed about any mental health issues they may be having. There are just too many others having the same ones for there to be room for judgment instead of support.
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Every Day Is a Good Day to Talk About Mental Health, but There are Some Upcoming Special Ones
I’m a firm believer that we don’t need any kind of special permission to talk about mental health and the stories of people dealing with mental health issues any day that we want to, but I also wanted to bring a couple of special days that are being set aside in Canada and the UK for the purpose.
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Shared Links (weekly) Jan. 9 2022
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Listen to Yourself: You Are Your Best Mental Health Resource
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What the Ghislaine Maxwell Conviction Means to Sexual Abuse Survivors
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We can’t ignore the role mental health plays in conspiracy theory beliefs
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Interview: Abuse and Neglect at Private “Troubled Teen” Centers
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Stigma leads men to hide the signs of mental health challenges
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Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider
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Sharing – Is Mental Health Stigma Decreasing? It’s Complicated
We can, and should, do everything we can to get out good information and share the truth about mental health issues. We can, and should, share our own stories of the mental health issues we’ve survived, especially those of us who have had many of these issues due to the trauma we suffered.
But that will never be enough for some people. Knowing the truth about these issues, and knowing what people need in terms of non-stigmatizing support won’t be enough to change their actual behavior. The very topic(s) will make them uncomfortable and they will act out of that discomfort instead of relying on what they know. They will put their own comfort above any consideration of how stigmatizing their actions and words are because they simply cannot handle even the slightest discomfort in their lives.
That is their weakness, not ours.
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