Mental Health

Mental Health:

*TRIGGER WARNING*

If you are affected by things mental health can cause such as self harm, panic attacks, certain disorders and so on...reader discretion is advised.

Who has mental health affected? What is mental health? Where is it most commonly seen? When is it known to occur? Why is mental health important? Yeah, you can search up all of those things. You have the ability to educate yourself on that topic, you don’t need me to do that when you have so many other valuable resources out there. I know you do, if you didn’t you probably wouldn’t be seeing this. So no, I will not be answering anything of those questions. I will however talk about How. If you do not want to read about my story you can go, but I strongly suggest that you say and listen to what I have to say before you tell someone “stop acting so bipolar” the next time they get angry at you.

Mental health, essentially, isn't just "in your head." Because it affects more things than your head. Sometimes it's hurting yourself, sometimes it's not taking care of yourself, sometimes it's just numbness. And then you're stuck in the "I want the pain to stop, but I don't want people to hurt because of me." Well, what do you do then? You stay. Life is temporary, you know that. Humans were made literally just to be destroyed. So then what's the point of staying? Because maybe, you've never had your first kiss. Maybe you've never held hands with someone. Maybe you haven't snuck out. There are so many things you haven't done, and you can still do it. And as a child whose parents grew up in the poorer parts of India, I know what it's like to have strict, mentally abusive parents who for some reason, don't believe in disorders. So maybe right now, you won't be able to go anywhere. So stay until you can. Wait. It's hard but wait. While you're waiting, all I have to say is simply believe. Believe until you become. Everything is temporary. So is pain. You'll be okay, sweetheart. I'm proud of you.

I was younger than 12 years old when I first started getting suicidal thoughts. I didn’t know what they were so I would call them my “that feeling”. I remember writing a letter to my future self and I had said “I hope you stop getting your ‘that feeling’”. If younger me saw me now. I find that so amusing that it astonished me and I am not one to be appalled. Since that moment my mental health has been severely declining. {In just the sixth grade I met someone who had claimed to be suicidal. I didn’t know very much, so I assumed the right thing to do was talk to my school counselor because it didn’t seem as though they were talking about this as a joke. A few nights later at ten in the night my mother gets a call from their mother about how what I did was “ridiculous and unnecessary. The mother proceeded to say that I was the reason her child was feeling that way. That my relation with the child had caused this. In her words “they were always a good kid. It wasn’t until after your daughter came in they started to think things like this. She is the reason my child was having suicidal thoughts” Of course, the mother was not aware that I was sitting at the table listening in on this conversation. As minimal as that might have been, I’d like to think that, that was the start of my mental health decline. Months had passed on and I told myself that I was fine. I was covering up anything else that might’ve been happening to me. Portraying the thought that I was fine, convincing myself to believe it. On May 4 of 2019 something had fallen in love with me. I assumed everything was going to be better, everything was going to be okay. I was lying to myself and hiding behind a mask. One I didn’t even realize I was wearing. Fast forward to November 18. When I first started to feel completely isolated. I was shut out from most of my friends. I was hated by the majority of the people that I knew and those that didn’t just left me.

My mental health started to severely decline. Several adults noticed the changes in my behavior, in my mood. It became very evident to people that I was far from “okay” and something was going on. Getting through the beginning of 2020 was difficult because of the hatred I was facing *on my own.* Then the year 2020 came and isolation was very evident not just to me but to the majority of people I was surrounding myself with. I came across so many people who were dealing with something similar to what I was but I wasn’t able to make a real connection with them. I began to get panic attacks. I began to participate in several acts of self harm.

There are times where I have thought that I want it to all just be over I think about it almost everyday but I’m still here and while I think it’s not going to end there has to be some reason for that. I believe everything happens for a reason. I am far from okay with receiving little to no help but that should never stop you from trying. This is not my cry for help I don’t need it this is for your awareness.

My mental health is something that needs to be addressed yet it is constantly ignored. I will not let that happen to you. I do NOT want that to happen to you because nobody ever deserves that. Please take into consideration the effects of mental health. I am not getting better and I don’t think I ever will but with help and the right mindset you CAN.

If you think you are struggling and nobody is around you to help or nobody will let me give you some advice. Get some fresh air. It gives you energy and mental focus. It also raises your serotonin levels, the chemical in your body that makes you feel relaxed and happy. Exercise: it increases endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline, and endocannabinoid, chemicals associated with feeling confident, capable, and decreasing anxiety and stress. Be with other people. It makes you feel safer in general and less worried about individual concerns. If the person you are with is happy, you will also become a bit happier.

People all around you deal with mental health issues. Some might believe that mental health isn’t important, but it is just as important, if not more important than physical health. Your mind controls everything you do, so when your mind isn’t functioning properly, it affects daily activities. It’s more serious than just “being sad.” If someone you know is suffering, try to talk to them and comfort them. Do not, however, pry and cause then even more distress. Sometimes just letting someone know that you care is enough. You can also help by being aware and by bringing on awareness about different types of mental issues. Your mental health and well-being should always take priority over work and other activities. And remember, you are cared for and loved even if it doesn’t seem like it sometimes.