Support

 I want to talk about how great having a support person or persons is when you are struggling with mental illness. Without mine I have to say I probably wouldn’t be here today. I also want to discuss how important it is to have a crisis plan in place with your support system.

For me, being compliant with my medication, seeing my doctor and therapists, and my support system has helped me so much. By being able to talk openly and freely with them about how I am feeling, whether it be up or down or stable. I know I have them in my corner.

My crisis plan has enabled me to be able to go to anyone in my support system and tell them, “Hey, I’m in crisis.” And they can immediately help or get me help. 

But after events from earlier this year, my own crisis and loosing a family member to suicide, I started thinking, what if we all started talking openly about our mental health struggles. Why is it so scary to admit we need help? And what gives anyone the right to judge someone who is struggling? 

Why is talking about mental health or mental illness such a touchy subject? Until we can get to a place where this is normal conversation, no one is really truly going to understand them. How can you gain a support system if no one understands or wants to listen? How many times can you be told to “power through” or “just don’t think about it?”

This is just one of the many things I hope this blog will help. Talking openly about what is going on with us, in our heads, will become normal everyday conversations. No one should struggle alone.