It is Mental Health Awareness week.
Yesterday marked the 7 year anniversary of losing a friend to suicide. I know a few others who lost their battle with mental illness. It shouldn't be this common, it shouldn't be happening at all.
I think a lot of times people are afraid to talk about it. I used to be afraid to talk about it, I have suffered from depression and anxiety my whole adult life, its not fun, but it is important to talk about it. Nowadays I am an open book when it comes to my depression, I'm sure sometimes I make people feel uncomfortable, but hey maybe me telling the struggles I used to have, and the struggles it took to find the right combination of medicine that worked best for me, I might just help someone. I might make someone's life a little bit easier, or at least make them feel better for even a minute knowing they are not the only one.
THEY, YOU, ANYONE, you're not alone! A lot of people suffer in silence, there is no reason. I think that the stigma of mental illness is slowly going away but it is still there. There is nothing to be ashamed of, if you had cancer would you be ashamed? NO! If you met someone with cancer would you think less of them? I hope the answer is NO! Like cancer, mental illness is an illness!!
I used to be embarrassed about the fact that I will most likely be on an antidepressant for the rest of my life, but then I finally realized...who cares!? I have a chemical imbalance, and the medicine helps me. If I had another illness that I had to take medicine everyday for, would I have been embarrassed? probably not.
Long story/ramble short, don't be afraid to talk to someone if you are feeling depressed or anxious, and if you notice that someone you know seems depressed or not themselves, talk to them, ask questions and listen.
Here is a website that has a lot of information about suicide prevention.
I hope this has helped someone, even just a little.
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