I Have Issues

Yep, I have issues. Many of you (especially my dear husband) will say, "well duh!" ;-)

But I'm going to try to be serious for a minute. Because everyone has their own "issues," their quirks, their personal obstacles... some of them are obvious, but some of us fight some pretty tough battles every day that many never know about.

I just read this amazing blog post this morning. It's about me. My friend Andrea wrote it. She may say it isn't about me, but it really is. She puts it into words much better than I ever could, so just go read it! Please?

Good Girl Gone Redneck: Mental Health Blog Day #mhblogday:  It's Mental Health Blog Day today. I only found out a few minutes ago via Twitter. But I had to participate. I have to. Mental health matters. It matters to me. It should matter to you. (read more)

So apparently today is Mental Health Blog Day, and I didn't know that until I read my friend's post. But I'm going to go with it. I'm jumping in. I'm taking the opportunity to just put it out there. I have a blog - a very new blog without much on it, but it's here. And I have mental health issues. And part of what I'm hoping to accomplish with my blog is to work through some of my issues. To find more people with similar issues. To let other people know they aren't alone. Friends like Andrea have helped me realize even when I feel the most alone, I'm not. Others feel this too. I struggle almost every day with depression and anxiety (among other things). Some days the struggle is harder than others. But sharing with friends can make it a little less hard.

It seems so hard to talk about it. To tell people I have depression, anxiety, maybe more... but it shouldn't be. Do people who break a bone have trouble telling others? Does someone with diabetes have trouble telling people? Do people who wear glasses or contacts have trouble talking about it? Mental health conditions shouldn't be any harder to talk about than physical health conditions. There shouldn't be such a stigma. Others are talking about it more, so maybe I should too. If enough of us start talking about it, maybe that stigma will start to fade a little more...

One of my favorite parts of Andrea's post:

SO many people out there are experiencing mental health related issues, and they're terrified to say so. The stigma that they see? Those words? 

"She's nuts. Crazy." "What is WRONG with him?" "What's his problem?" "I'm tired of her canceling plans. I'm done. Let her find some new friends to cancel on." 

It makes so much sense to you to react this way. I'm not mad at you for doing so. I just want you to understand. Recognize there can be so much more than the eye can see. Use your gut. Sense it. Maybe offer to watch the kids while she takes a shower. Heck, a bath, even! Offer to come over to her house for the playdate. Pick her up if she's afraid to drive. Talk to him about YOUR therapist. Or your mom's. Whatever. Make it real. Make it normal. Make it okay. 

Because it is. It's okay. Really. 

And if it doesn't feel like it is, it WILL BE. I promise.

Yep. Thank you Andrea! I'm blogging for mental health too! Click here for more - http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/apamental-health-month-blog-day-links-round-up-2013/

It is important. It's important to think about, and it's important to talk about.

Why is it so hard?

So yeah, I'm still here... still thinking, strategizing, planning...

Having trouble doing though. Why is it so hard? I posted twice, then nothing for two months. It's not like I'm doing this for anyone else. There really shouldn't be any pressure or fear associated with just typing out some of what's going on... so why is it so hard? I keep thinking about the "bigger" posts I want to write, and about "going public" so to say, and that's what's still scaring me. I do want to make more definite goals for this year and make some definite changes, and I've actually taken a few baby steps already that I'm proud of, but I'm having trouble prioritizing and specifying the bigger things. I want to shout out about all of my health issues - physical and mental health, and ask my loved ones for more help and support, but that's so hard.

For now, I'm going to work on writing/posting more. Little stuff. Stuff that isn't so scary. ;-) My biggest goal or life change (so to say) that I'm working on over this year is to prioritize myself more. To stop trying to do everything I can for everyone but myself. I've started reading again over the last few months, which I hadn't done in years (literally), and that me-time is fantastic! I wish I could find/make more of it (the me-time), but I'm doing a little bit. And that's a good thing. I've made a few doctor appointments that I had been putting off - saw the dentist and the podiatrist. Have a physical scheduled. Those are good things. There's quite a bit more of that kind of thing I need to do, but it's a start.

And now I've posted again. Finally! ;-) And that's a good thing probably. So there you go! So if anyone's reading, what's going on in your life? What have you done for you lately?