I’d like to address some of the stigma that (still!) surrounds mental health.
My Experience Talking About Mental Health
First off, I’d like to share my experience. And I’m not speaking for anyone other than myself here.
I can genuinely say that, for the most part, people have been unbelievably supportive and loving regarding me sharing my mental health struggles from my late teen years.
This has been true across the board – on social media, in public speeches, in articles, in books – I’ve received an enormous amount of love.
One friend from New York City said to me in person, after seeing a Facebook post where I publicly shared some of my struggles from the past, “I didn’t know you struggled with that. I respect you so much for sharing that, as that’s not easy to overcome.”
My friends have respected me even more for sharing this. The right people will appreciate you for being yourself.
Some People are Judged and Put Down for Talking About Mental Health
I’m saying all this because I’m heartbroken and truly saddened to hear that other people have not had the same experience.
I’ve heard of stories where people have been abandoned by their friends for talking about their mental health struggles.
I’ve heard of stories where people have been verbally crucified for talking about mental health.
Please deeply know and understand the following: it takes a lot of courage to talk about mental health. If someone rejects you for being open, it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong – it means they are the wrong person to be around.
The truth is, we live in a dysfunctional and broken society.
A society that refuses to change.
There’s no stigma in my own experience of talking about mental health, though there is in the experience of others, and I’d like to address that.
Anxiety and depression rates skyrocketed in 2020. It’s quite ironic – and downright sad – that so many people struggle with this, and yet our society makes people feel like they can’t talk about it.
Stigma Is Reduced and Shattered by Talking About It
In my opinion, I don’t believe that people are inherently evil. I just think a lot of people don’t truly know, get, or understand how many people are struggling with mental health challenges.
The numbers are unfathomable.
Stigma is shattered by talking about it.
The only way out is through.
Keep talking about mental health. Keep sharing your story. Keep being brave. And know that if someone puts you down for being courageous, it’s a reflection of them, not of you.
Jeff Davis is an award-winning author, most recently publishing The Power of Authentic Leadership: Activating the 13 Keys to Achieving Prosperity Through Authenticity. He’s also an authentic leadership keynote speaker and success coach. Connect with him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter. For three free books (The Power of Authentic Leadership, Reach Your Mountaintop, and Traveling Triumphs) in exchange for being added to his email list, email his Executive Assistant at meg@jeffdspeaks.com. Learn more about his story on his About page and feel free to check out his author page on Amazon.
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