I'm very grateful for what I have in my life and I'm proud of where I've ended up, but there are days that are filled with endless struggle.
It can be a very frustrating, intimidating, overwhelming, or even terrifying to take a long hard look at yourself. What's even more overwhelming is those times that you're not afforded the luxury of choosing whether or not to take a long hard long into the abyss - you feel stuck there. You're stuck in repetitive thoughts. You're stuck in self-defeating behaviors. You're stuck in sour relationships. You're stuck in a feeling or a thought that you just can't seem to shake.
It doesn't have to be that way.
I've relied on my family to get me out of the depths. I've been blessed with a few great friends who've sought me out when I got lost in the darkness. I've had a powerful God to turn to for warmth at times when I just felt numb. And, yes, I have reached out to mental health professionals at multiple points throughout my life.
I feel no shame, no weakness, and no less proud of what I've done with my life just because I sought professional mental health when I needed it. In fact, it's something we should encourage in others and be proud of.
The person most capable of taking care of me is me. The person most able to figure out when I've had enough and I need assistance is me. It's my responsibility to make sure that I'm okay. It's my responsibility to reach out for help when I'm not okay.
Doesn't my daughter deserve the healthiest me? Doesn't my community benefit from what I do the most when I am the healthiest me? Don't I owe it to myself to be the best me possible so I can be the best vessel for God's work that I can possibly be? If I'm using all of my energy fighting my own demons and focusing so much of my mind space on my internal struggle, how can I turn my attention outwards and help others?
It's World Mental Health Day and I just want to encourage anyone who is going through what I've been through or who is fighting their own internal battles to reach out for help. I would love to hear from you and support you.
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