What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candour
and more unashamed conversation.
-Glenn Close
Agreed that speaking up for your mental health can be difficult. It’s tougher than it sounds. But doing so will allow the people in your life who love and care about you to be supportive and help you take a holistic approach towards your health. It will also liberate you from living under the fear of someone finding out about your struggles.
The journey of speaking up for your mental health starts with overcoming your apprehensions that have been ingrained in your mind from the stigma, societal pressure and self-judgement.
Self-doubt and self-judgement might make you think that who cares and who’s going to listen to you?
You can’t make people listen. But you can figure out who’s likely to be listening when you talk.
“Who cares?” is a question that you have to ask yourself. Do you care? Do you care about your happiness? Do you “really” care about your health and well-being?
“Who’s listening?” is a question that you have to throw at the people around you – your friends, relatives and family. People who will listen to you might have lately stopped listening because they got occupied with their lives.
There is a possibility that the listeners have stopped listening and you can feel like there is an attention blockade. When you recognise the blockade, resolve it soonest. Find and recognise those people who truly listen to you and keep them close always.
Mental health is often ignored and not taken as seriously as physical health. When you start on your journey of paying attention to your mental health and take a positive step towards it, It’s natural to have some doubts in your mind. Thoughts like why do you need to pay attention to your mental wellbeing will crop up in your mind.
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Before you ask yourself why, ask why not?
Almost everything that you don’t do has no good reason for it and results from fear or inertia or a historical lack of someone asking, “Why not?”
Why not ask for help?
Why not solve your mental troubles?
Why not seek counselling or therapy?
Why not reach out to someone, like a therapist, to give you direction?
Why not talk to your family about your hardships?
Why not solve the mystery behind your mood swings, anxiety, anger and temperament?
Why not find out an outlet for your feelings and emotions?
Why not find out the reasons behind your sadness and blues?
Speaking Up for Your Mental Health
If you feel like you’re having a difficult time starting the conversation, here are some ways you might try approaching the topic with a trusted friend or family member:
- Prepare for the conversation – People are more likely to take you seriously if you start by telling them that what you’re about to say is serious and essential to you. If it’s more convenient for you, you might send this as a text or message. However, opening the conversation with something like, “I’ve been having a difficult time and need to talk to you about it,” could be beneficial.
- Make a note of what you want to talk about – Being well-prepared may help to minimise the stress of the conversation. If you plan ahead of time and write out what you’re going to say, it could help you gather your thoughts. You don’t have to read what you wrote to someone, but it will help you ensure that you convey what you want in the way you want.
- Tell them how they can help – The reason why you’re reaching out to people is that you trust them. Be specific about what they can do to help you.
- Have a chaperon – Having someone on your side can make all the difference while having these conversations with others who might not be as understanding.
Bottom line…
Dissolve your fears and break the stigma around speaking up and reaching out for help. It won’t be easy but you have to do this for yourself. Be the change you want to see!
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Read more about Maternal Mental Health on my Instagram under the hashtag #31shadesofprettyme
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