I remember when I first got pregnant, I was all excited because I was finally going to have a holiday in my honor. I couldn’t wait to get my first Mother’s Day card, thanking me for my awesomeness and recognizing what I’ve done.
Turns out, October 10 is also a special holiday created just for me.
(I think somewhere in the DSM “narcissism” is defined as “thinking a holiday was created just for you if you’re not MLK or a dead president.”)
Yep, it’s a holiday celebrating mental health. And Lord knows I get mental from time to time.
But in all seriousness, it’s very important that we take the time to think about our own mental health, and bring the struggles of others to the forefront. It’s high time we applaud trying to get our heads on straight, instead of shaming and punishing those who have issues and those who take care of their mental well-being.
Today, we celebrate being brave enough to ask for help. We celebrate the doctors and therapists and other mental health professionals who have dedicated themselves to taking care of our spirits and our souls. We celebrate the insurance providers and employers who believe that paying for mental health care is a great way to bolster physical health. We celebrate the advancements in science that have brought us treatments for some terrible diseases.
And we celebrate not being alone.
RAISE YOUR HAND if someone you know has ever attempted or committed suicide.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you have ever had deep anxiety.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you have to pick up the slack for a coworker who can’t ever get his act together and misses lots of work.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you have ever tried to love someone with depression.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you’re raising a child with ADHD.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you’ve been the victim of a crime perpetrated by someone with a mental disorder.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you’ve been to marriage counseling.
RAISE YOUR HAND if you’ve ever thought hurting yourself would eventually make you feel better.
There is not a single person on this planet who has not been touched by a mental health issue in one way or another.
RAISE YOUR HAND, because you’re not in this alone. We’re all in this together. This holiday is for you.
And now, I give you this little tune, because I’m not one to let a good earworm go unshared. (Are earworms a mental disorder? They should be.) Also, it’s got a pretty good message for today.
Is there something wrong with being a grown woman and loving High School Musical? I may need to make an appointment with my therapist…
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We all need to raise our hands. I hate that those who have the good sense to get help, are ostracized and made to feel like they are Lepers. There is such stigma attached to being mentally ill.People fear what they don’t understand. Thanks for sharing this post. I wish more people had your attitude about the whole thing. Happy World Mental Health day!
I raise my hand to this awesomely written post. Very insightful with just enough humor to let us know that there is nothing to be afraid. I too applaud the many who are involved in maintaining mental well being. Also, those who fight and never give up on their quest for a better them.
I’ve struggled with issues like this. Undiagnosed, untreated. When things are good, I’m typically good. But when things are bad, I fall down quickly. Things have been particularly rough lately. And it is frustrating because my husband is an overall happy guy who can’t even fathom what it’s like to struggle with simply being happy.