May 28, 2022: As Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, kudos to all the employers out there who have sponsored events for their employees. Let’s keep the momentum going.
The past few weeks, I’ve facilitated presentations on a variety of topics that fall under the Mental Health umbrella including, “Getting You Help,” “Creating a Healthier Lifestyle,” “Healthy Choices,” “Be Positive,” and “Staying Whole during Changing Times.” Audiences have included government contractors, education, engineering, and a leading organization in talent solutions. While the titles and audiences were different, each workshop had human beings as the audience and the underlying messages were similar:
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It’s ok not to be ok
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It’s ok to be ok
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It’s ok if you can only muster the will to do “the next thing”
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It’s ok to strive to be the best version of yourself
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Wherever you are, it’s ok; we’re all a work in progress.
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The first step to behavior change is self-awareness. Your life matters and you’re in the driver’s seat. You are the author and editor of your life story and only you can write the next chapter; there are other characters in your story who love you and would like to support you, let them… share with them what support looks like for you.
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None of us can read minds but we can ask, “how are you doing?” “How may I support you?” or we can say, “Things are feeling a little out of control and overwhelming for me right now, I could really use some support.”
Anxiety, Depression and other Mental Health Disorders are not a choice. There is a difference between feeling depressed and having clinical depression. While we all may feel anxious, depressed and exhibit behaviors unlike our baseline from time to time, when this becomes chronic and interferes with activities of daily living, that’s when it’s time to seek professional help. Don’t diminish what you’re feeling
While a positive mindset can be cultivated, positivity alone can’t treat clinical depression, anxiety, or other potentially debilitating mental health conditions; however, your healthcare provider, teaming with you, can. Just like a diabetic may require insulin, an individual with a mental health disorder may need medication and/or therapy to treat the underlying cause.
Supporting someone who has a mental health disorder involves seeking to understand and asking them how you can support them, not projecting what we think they may need or becoming frustrated because we don’t “get it.” I know, I’ve been there. Projecting could have negative unintended consequences and damage a relationship. It’s important to believe them and not use language that diminishes what they’re feeling or makes them feel like it’s a choice. It’s not about you, it’s about them. It’s about who you are together.
So, as mental health awareness month draws to a close converging with Memorial Day Weekend when we honor those who died in service, let’s commit to supporting the living (civilian, active duty and veterans) and take steps towards a future when we don’t need an awareness month to call attention to mental health awareness (or to memorialize the dead) because being aware, honoring, and supporting it “just is” a part of the every day human experience and of caring and journeying through this life, together.
“I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.” ~Helen Keller
