The Things I’ve Learnt About Mental Health

Mental health is something that I am very passionate about. I have written countless posts here on my blog over the years about the subject. When I was growing up and my mental health conditions were heightening, I had nowhere to go. People didn’t seem to understand me. Then when I went online the only information that I could find was on NHS websites. With my blog, I have a platform where I can reach people.

 

 

That is why I want to upload posts about mental health and hopefully reach people that are looking for support on their journey. For that reason, today I am going to speak about the things that I have learnt about mental health. Not only has my own mental health struggles helped me to develop a deep understanding, I communicate with others and I am a mental health first aider.

 

People are either very open or very closed.

I have been speaking very honestly about my mental health for around 5 years or so now. Something that I have found is that people are either very open, or very closed. I have some people in my life that will rattle away with me, ask loads of questions and genuinely show an interest. Then, there are other people that don’t want to speak about it. It could be for a number of reasons; they might see it as a confidential subject. They may genuinely not care. Or, it could be that they have their own struggles. Regardless, it really is a stark difference between the two.

 

Some people assume that you are weak.

I can remember the first time I told my workplace that I was struggling mentally, there was certainly a judgement. One of my old managers I actually heard call me crazy because I told him about my mental health. One of my previous colleagues once tried to stop work coming in my direction because they didn’t think that I could cope with the workload. The assumption that somebody is weak or cannot handle everyday things because of a mental health condition is damn right awful. I am stronger than most people because of what I go through on a daily basis. If something is ever too much for me, I am mature enough to say.

 

There are so many misconceptions.

When I was first officially diagnosed with OCD, I told most of the people around me. I didn’t see it as something to be ashamed of. My thought process was that by telling people, they would develop an understanding which in the long run may help me. However, for a long time that wasn’t the case. People would assume that I had to turn the lights on 20 times when I enter a room. Or I would constantly be late because I would be checking that my straighteners were turned off. Very few actually listened to what I had to say, before leaping at the misconceptions about most mental health conditions.

 

Medications are deemed shameful.

A couple of years ago, my mental health got to a stage where I needed medication. Generally speaking, I can manage and stay on top of my mental health requirements, but sometimes I cannot. I spoke to my councillor and my doctor, and we were all in agreement that I needed medicinal intervention. For me, the more people I share it with, the easier it is for me to get on board with. When I told people that I was on anti-depressants, I got quite a lot of judgement. Almost like I should have just struggled along without them, rather than have the shame of going on them.

 

Loved ones tend to not understand.

Last on the things that I have learnt about mental health is about loved ones. When speaking to my family about my mental health, I tend to get mixed responses. I expected the older generation to not understand and the younger ones to be on board, however that isn’t the case. My nan for example speaks to me with so much understanding it is amazing. Then there are people my own age that seem to brush it under the carpet. I think that when it comes to family members, they do not want to see that you are struggling because they want the people that they care about to be ok.

 

I hope that this post on the things I have learnt about mental health interests you guys. If you do not have your own struggles, it can be very hard to relate to people that are going through something. Hopefully by reading posts like this, it will help to educate yourself a little and empathise with them that need it. Mental health is always going to be a difficult subject to talk and write about. There is still very much a stigma about admitting that you are struggling mentally, but not here on this blog. I am transparent about the things that I am going through because I want to make it easier to others. As always, I would love to hear from you guys on this. Leave me a comment and let me know what you have learnt about mental health.