The Dark Side of Mental Health


There are many different aspects of mental health that don't get noticed. So I want to bring to light the dark side, the side no one sees which is what many mental health issues are. You can't tell someone has a mental health illness by just looking at them in most cases. This is why I feel it's such a dark side to this because someone could be struggling like no other and you would never know. Unless you paid attention to the signs. Though this isn't the exact order of what people go through this is what I've seen and heard about the most when people are struggling. 

It starts first with the turmoil or overthinking within when someone has an issue. I was in a group meeting late last night when one of the leaders told the group "it's never the hardest punches that knock you out, it's the ones you don't see coming". So when an individual has an issue they may start to feel guilty, have self-doubt, and start to feel shame. Once again these are all things a person wouldn't know based on just looking at you.

The next stage is then hiding the pain. Trying to appear like your normal self even though you are fighting the battles. Which often includes starting to isolate yourself from your normal group of friends, or stop doing things you usually do. Which makes me think about how easily this can be mistaken for someone just having a bad day. This usually will take place over time and you know your people best, if you think somethings wrong ASK. 

Battling these problems alone can lead to these mental health issues especially for long periods of time. Which can lead to depression and down the line maybe even suicide. I've watched a family get tore apart because the father decided to commit suicide. The kids were devastated when they found out their father didn't want to live anymore. It's something no one should ever have to go through. 

Thats why it's so important to speak up about issues you are facing. No matter how big or little the issue may be talking to someone can help relieve your mind. But this isn't so easy for everyone to just open up. The stigma behind mental has been more in the lime light but it's still present because still so many people are suffering. Stay tuned for next week when I dive deeper into the stigma of mental health. 



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