聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 鈥淥ftentimes, it is the person who looks like they have everything together that is suffering,鈥� said a 26-year-old teacher who has been working through Generalized Anxiety Disorder for the past year, although she has been dealing with it, undiagnosed, since she was a small child. 鈥淪o many people suffer in silence because they are afraid or ashamed. Every single person can help by speaking up about mental illness!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For the week of May 2-8 this is exactly what The Canadian Mental Health Association has developed through Mental Health Week.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e all have mental health, just as we all have physical health,鈥� the Canadian Mental Health Association writes. 鈥淢ental health is more than the absence of mental illness. It鈥檚 a state of wellbeing.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For the 26-year-old woman her anxiety began manifesting itself physically, socially, and emotionally over time, which created a spiral into depression and continually increasing anxiety.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was affecting me in a lot of different ways,鈥� she explained. 鈥淧hysically, I had migraines, digestive problems, dealt with dizziness and nausea, and many panic attacks. It affected me a lot socially and emotionally as well. Everything was so overwhelming for me. Planning to go over to a friend鈥檚 house for dinner was like planning for a trip across the world. My brain would obsess over everything from what I would talk about to how I was probably going to die in a car crash on the way there.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here was just so much to consider all the time. I was often exhausted by the constant racing thoughts going through my head. In order to stop worrying, I would avoid a lot of things. The avoidance just led to depression and more anxiety.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The realization that seeking help in her silent struggle was needed developed in two parts.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he first was after I had met with a group of friends for dinner,鈥� she explained. 鈥淥ne lady, who happened to be one of my former teachers, had talked openly about her experiences and constant struggle with anxiety. After that dinner I was able to think a lot about my own experiences. This lady was smart, extremely kind, hard-working, and someone that I looked up to. She seemed like she had everything together. It made me realize that mental illness could affect anyone. It kind of took a little bit of the stigma away for me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he second turning point was after a day where I was supposed to be preparing things for my students. I had the classroom to myself to prepare for the following week, but I ended up just laying on the classroom floor and was crying for eight hours straight. I had lost all of the remaining motivation that I had left. I wasn鈥檛 sleeping, I was hardly eating anymore and I was overwhelmed by everything. Planning for my students seemed like an impossible task and I was really frustrated by that. Teaching was and still is my favourite thing in the world and I got so much joy out of planning, so I couldn鈥檛 understand why I would be so worked up over it. It was a breaking point. That night, I decided to reach out to my former teacher for support.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dealing with anxiety, the idea of opening up to people, even close friends and family was very difficult.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 had those constant irrational thoughts of 鈥榃hat if they don鈥檛 want to talk to me anymore?鈥� 鈥榃hat if they think I鈥檓 just seeking attention?鈥� etc鈥︹�� she stated. 鈥淚 initially reached out to one or two close friends through text message, so that was a little bit easier for me. They were incredibly supportive and willing to listen, so that made it a lot easier!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The decision to seek professional help, however, was the most difficult choice beginning to accept and deal with her anxiety.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪eeking professional help was probably one of the hardest things for me to do,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚 already had a fear of going to the doctor, so I didn鈥檛 think I was going to be able to do it. I had a lot of encouragement from my support network of friends and family. They were encouraging, but didn鈥檛 force me into it. When I finally went I took a family member in with me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he first doctor and counsellor were not a good fit and I didn鈥檛 open up with them at all. The second doctor was recommended to me and he was amazing. He eased me into opening up over several months of appointments.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The decision to take medication to help with her treatment wasn鈥檛 taken lightly either and she had attempted to utilize other tactics in overcoming her anxiety: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think medication is for everyone, but after trying everything from yoga and meditation to diet changes, I realized that my brain needed help rewiring itself. After a few months of getting adjusted to the medication, my mind calmed down enough for me to utilize various strategies to get my anxiety under control.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 have a strong support network of friends and family that I can reach out to when I am struggling. I have a lot of tools that I use to maintain wellness as well as tools that I use to help cope on harder days. Everyone is different and so everyone鈥檚 strategies will be different鈥︹��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For her volunteering as a trained listener on 7cups.com (a free site which connects people who need someone to talk to, to a trained listener), hiking, guided meditation, working hard to be kind to herself, and utilizing an app called BoosterBuddy which asks the user how they are feeling which then recommends self-care challenges to improve mental health or coping strategies for difficult days.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔or me it鈥檚 all about creating routines and utilizing daily strategies that help me maintain wellness,鈥� she stated.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Getting to this point was trying as the stigmas surrounding mental health were amplified by her anxiety.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 think the biggest stigmas are that people with mental illness are lazy, attention seeking, dangerous, or just making it up,鈥� she explained. 鈥淧eople with mental illness often hear things like, 鈥榃hy don鈥檛 you just try and be happy.鈥� 鈥楯ust exercise and eat better, and you will be fine.鈥� I think mental illnesses often get dismissed because they are not physical illnesses that can be seen.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hink about mental illness the same way that [you] think about a physical illness. It鈥檚 not your fault if you have a mental illness, just like it鈥檚 not your fault if you have the flu or cancer. Everyone deserves to be healthy and happy and that can only be achieved if those illnesses are treated properly.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For those considering seeking help in dealing with a mental illness, she encourages you to reach out: 鈥淚t鈥檚 worth it! It might seem scary or impossible, but there are so many people willing to help you on your journey. You deserve to feel excited about life.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And for those that someone struggling has come to she says, 鈥淔irst and foremost be willing to listen. If someone reaches out to you, feel privileged that they trust you to take this journey with them! Be supportive and understanding and recognize that it is an illness; it does not define who they are as a person. Offer support in any way that you can. That could be accompanying your loved one to a doctor, going for weekly walks, sending little notes of encouragement, helping them problem solve, etc鈥︹��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淓ducating yourself on their mental illness is also a great way to gain a better understanding of what they are going through and how you can help. Lastly, I would say be patient and take care of yourself as well.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏uilding a strong support network in the beginning is so important. Reach out to friends and family, or someone who you can trust. If you don鈥檛 feel like you can talk to anyone, use help lines and resources like 7cups.com. In the beginning, there are so many days where you feel like giving up or like things will never get better. On these days your support network is what is going to get you through it.鈥�
