Yesterday was “World Mental Health Day”. This year’s message was Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention.
I saw several messages on social media along with messages I shared regarding taking care of ourselves, reaching out to those in need, stopping the stigma etc.
As I laid down last night, I started to think about some of the stories people shared about their mental health obstacles. Stories from moms battling postpartum depression, folks struggling to balance it all, teens who’d attempted suicide, parents who have been struggling to help a child who has attempted suicide, and those who have lost someone to suicide and so many more situations.
The fact that many were willing to share their stories about mental health struggles provided some comfort. I also couldn’t help but think of those who are still not ready to seek help or discuss what they are going through. I can only imagine the anguish they are facing.
There is no right or wrong way to seek help. The most important thing is to know that there is help and even if you are not ready to talk to a family member or friend you can reach out to people. Some of the resources I have found are:
National suicide prevention help line 1-800-273-8255 – There is someone to answer your call no matter what time of day or night it is.
National Suicide Prevention Website- This site has resources you can look up that will help you get the help you need
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
World Health Organization Website – You will find a great amount of resources covering a variety of topics
Such a simple sentence, maybe an obvious statement – yet this is what I kept going back to and what will probably stay with me the longest from your post: “There is no right or wrong way to seek help.” Somehow I find that more motivating and encouraging than anything else because it reminds us that “we can’t mess up by asking for help – we should just give it a try”. Thank you for that!
Thank you for reading this piece. I hate that so many suffer and are afraid to ask for help.
It’s so true there is no one size fits all when it comes to mental health. Great list of resources!
I can relate to this post so much!! My goal is to help break the stigma.
I wish more and more people would talk about their mental health issues and not worry about what others might think about it
Totally agree 🙂