the beauty of mental health awareness month - week 1
i'm back with my first of four newsletters about mental health! this is a topic I know how to speak on too well, haha.
happy mental health awareness month to all who celebrate (jokes!). i have been lacking in newsletter ideas lately, but mental health is one thing i do know how to talk about.
this week i am going to discuss what i have learned through my personal experiences with mental health.
first and foremost, i’ve learned that nearly everyone struggles with their mental health. some struggle more than others, most definitely, but to be completely untouched by the affects of mental illness is a rarity. our coworkers, our friends, our bosses, our pastors, our teachers, our mentors, our celebrity figures, etc., have almost all been affected by their own mental health struggles or the mental health struggles of their loved ones. (stay tuned for a newsletter about how to support loved ones who have mental health issues.)
author and speaker ann voskamp writes in her book the broken way, “your bravery wins a thousand battles you can’t see because your bravery strengthens a thousand others to win their battles too.”
this is why i am open about my mental health struggles. also, we can call it what it is—mental illness. i know the term mental health sounds much prettier than mental illness, but sometimes, mental illness is what it is and we can name that without fear or shame. in my own case, i struggle with mental illness. if my struggle can help even one person to fight their own battles, then it is worth talking and writing about.
managing mental illness is time consuming and sometimes exhausting. it’s also rewarding. change rarely happens quickly. most often it is a one-step-forward-two-steps-back type of change, but that’s okay. even if it is slow, i have personally seen that change does happen, even when the odds look bleak.
in the christian community especially, we have presented, at times, that we must do option a) or we must do option b), but that we can’t do both. nothing could be further from the truth. we can utilize the resources available to us such as therapy and medication and we can also believe God for strength and healing.
i see a therapist weekly. i see doctors. i take medication. i use coping skills.
i also pray. i lean into community as best i can. i have faith, etc. etc.
we can do both and it does not say anything about us except that we are utilizing what the Lord has given us access to. it has taken me years to arrive at a place where i don’t feel shame about the measures i have had to take to get better. even now i can sometimes feel a bit of hesitancy when sharing. but like the quote above says, it is worth it if it gives one person the push that they need to take a step forward.
my encouragement to you if you are struggling is to try something that you haven’t before in terms of your mental health. maybe you talk to a friend or even a therapist, maybe you make an appointment to see your doctor, maybe you create space to talk to the Lord about your struggles.
your next steps might even be as simple as reading a few articles about what your dealing with, listening to a podcast, or reading a book. the steps we take don’t have to span across valleys, they can simply move us one inch forward and that’s enough.
here is a rapid fire list of a few things that i’ve learned while struggling with my mental health—
we are not alone
God is always working and we really can trust Him
the people who struggle the most are often some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet
everyone has a story
even if we think we are the only person who has our exact struggle, we aren’t
there are people who want to support us
going for a walk does wonders
sometime we just need to have a snack
every life matters deeply
it’s not that serious
(yes, nine and ten can co-exist)
beauty from the week—
i’m currently reading the screwtape letters by c.s. lewis and boy is it making me think! i highly, highly recommend it. (pro-tip: you can definitely find it for only a few dollars on thriftbooks.com)
fun fact about me: i’m a HUGE energy drink fan. they are my sustenance, lol. right now i am loving alani’s peach flavor. SO GOOD! they sell them at your local h-e-b. the summer berry breeze is also the bomb. the fact that they also have more caffeine than a monster is a plus too! lol.
i am a taylor swift stan—let’s get that out of the way, haha. i recently re-watched the long pond sessions on disney plus, and it inspired me so much as a writer. she is so brilliant. i highly recommend if your needing creative inspiration.
that’s all for this week. thank you so much for reading!
stay tuned for next week’s letter :)
it would mean so much to me if you would share this letter in whatever way you feel comfortable. i’ll even give you the button to share right here, haha.
thank you again for your time. i hope you have a great week!
catherine <3
Thank you again for another sharing~!😍 The God of ALL comfort powerfully works through your words, writing💝💗💖