Mindfulness Daily Checkin May 12 - Saturday-
Ello Awesome Community!!
Our mission either at 7Cups or Mindfulness Community has always been to support and help each other with mental illness and become into better, stronger and healthier.
Your mental health is not different from physical health. But, the stigmas associated with mental health still stops many to come forward and talk about their mental struggles. Even I am one of them who hardly talked about my mental issues. So, as we are in Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we will come forward and try to change this.
I know many who are vocal about any mental illness can be dismissed as weak. People are around them either think that they overthinking or weak. Even in friend circles, others mock, belittle and turn a blind eye. And, when such experiences one have, they prefer to suffer in silence. I know how does it feel. How lonely one feel.
So, regardless of who thinking what, please understand and be mindful that:-
It's perfectly alright to not have your shit altogether. It's okay if you feeling depressed. It's fine if you are stressed and overwhelmed even if the reasons for it seems silly. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to be anxious. It's okay if you do not know what's happening with you. It's okay, if you unable to label your emotions. These are perfectly alright and normal feelings you have and anyone can have them. And, it's perfectly fine to speak and talk about it..
What's not okay is not talking about it and choosing to suffer in silence.
Well, I suffered from depression, trauma, social and text anxiety. And, it took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not to be afraid to open up. Especially, many of us have this tendency to keep things within oneself. I still do it but I try to open up, if not direct 1-1 with someone, then through my writing. Well, writing helps me to express my thoughts consciously, subconciously, directly or indirectly. I think this is my mode to open up about my thoughts and feelings.
So, open up not necessarily means that you have to approach someone and say, "Hey, I've a mental illness and suffering from depression." You may have other forms of communication to express it, to be open about it. Many of us do it through writing, through painting, through sculptures, through sketches and so on. But, yeah expressing it in words and talking about it helps a bit. And, I am glad we have this platform where one can open up without feeling judged and get some compassionate support. It makes one feel, "I'm not alone."
Together we can raise our voice, spread awareness and fight the stigma that talking about mental illness isn't okay and sign of weakness.
So, let's talk about your mental illness and how it made you feel in your initial days when you were not aware about mental illness and how you approached it? Share with me in our Social Saturday Edition of Mental Health Awareness.
Waiting to hear you. 
Happy Weekend Lovelies!!
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@ASilentObserver
Wow... it was like reading my own words.
I feel like I should put this post may trigger emotions and responses for some people. It's really long post... sorry but I just keptt going and going. Take what you want, leave what you will. As usual, not sure how much sense it makes to anyone but me. Little bit of tumbleweeding incolved.
Mental health discussions with the Silver Generation were hushed conversations about addiction and shell shock. The dark "secrets" of the fam was the depression - which had such jaded takes on it that you wouldn't want to admit to it in the fam though it was rampant - and the mystery of my great-grandmother who had some sort of break, severely - "she went away" and left my grandmother to assume the role of raising the kids and running the house around sixth grade. End of conversation.
Things became a tad more open as I grew up admidst the Baby Boomers... I sat through quite a few college classes, watched a ton of documentaries, sat in on tons of adult conversations about depression, loneliness, alcoholism, war trauma, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and such because I was the kid that wasn't seen as a kid - I was the mini-adult sponging it all in and out of the blue look at yhe adults and offer an opinion based on my gathered info and opinion. (They used to tell me I was 4 going on 40... because I wasn't ever a kid, I wasn't on that plain, so they never hesitated to talk about most things in ear shot and would concede to my conclusions and insights or at least let me have my say.) The adults would say they were sad and I would ask but why are you sad? Because adults get sad sometimes. But why, what makes you sad? The thing is... they would open up - eventually - and I would give them my opinion - You want to be loved, love yourself first. You memories are making you sad - they're part of you and you have to learn to live with them but so are happier ones so try to switch the memory. You feel guilty - you can't change the past or re-write it but you can decide to do different in tje future. You think you have to stay with someone who doesn't love you because of the kids, how will the kids recognize love based on what they see - you are the example. (Go ahead and doubt this... but that's how it was for me as a kid. I didn't fit in with the kids... ever.... I felt at home with the adults. Kids were too busy with things that didn't matter... how I felt. )
In all honesty, it's that small kid with the observations I miss. She didn't judge people, she seemed to know how to listen inside and out, and even in the face of all the crap - abuse, isolation, bullying, loneliness, and I'll go as far as saying depression - was a fighter, resilient, kept pushing forward and seemed to have right words at the right time for each situation. She seemed to know how to restructure what was happening and have a working solution. She got lost under the years of scars... that's all I can figure.
But even though the conversations between two people would happen about mental illness, you dare not repeat it in the rest of the world. If you were depressed, you were damaged goods. Shell shocked, you should be medicated and locked away in the VetAdmin Hospital. Alcoholic... oh, that one was full of excuses- hard job, bad family life, so on - not admit there was a problem just pity them or laugh at them. Someone attempted suicide - fodder for gossip and isolation imposed like it was contagious. Mental illness in the family-must be bad genes. People find out you are on medication for mental illness - welcome to the gossip mill and pariah-hood. Have anxiety - you're of weak fortitude.
I think things are changing... with tv and movie addressing a lot of this starting with the most notable example being MASH and Hawkeye's break. Then Edith Bunker's depression on All in the Family. The soap operas took to the task. Then you had the era of talk TV with Donahue, Oprah and more who brought the topic home to millions. Seeing mental health on tv and the big screen opened up avenues to talk.
The rise in the era of self help books provided the next wave. Book after book published to explain our feelings to us and how to take charge in our lives.
The era of the internet broke all sorts of boundaries. Look at where we are today - a digital community of accessible support with people from around the world. Remote access to care professionals. Video confessions of the everyday person and celebrity admitting to their mental health issues. The discussion is finally moving from hushed whispers to the light of day and even the spotlight.
This isn't removing the stigma as fast. It's not resolving the lack of affordable mental health care. It's not influencing pharm companies to make meds cheaper. It's not forcing insurance companies to provide nandatory mental health care. It's not making employers more sensitive to the needs or offering employees protection from retaliation.
We've still have a long way to go. The whole mental health issue needs to be able to be discussed - without fear, reservation, hesitation or judgement. The latter - may be the biggest obstacle to overcome and won't be possible until generarions that hold the stigmas have died and gone and taken it with them.
@ASilentObserver
So well said Silent, thank you for this reminder to us all here. No one should be in silence but everyone should share if they feel comfortable. Being on here I am still learning on how to share how I am doing but do it appropriately. I think I am doing ok but still growing I am.
A lot is going on here, thing is I'd like others to feel they can confide in someone or have a voice right here in this area. hugs to you Silent hugs to those out there too
@ASilentObserver Hi Obs! :) How are you doing today? I hope you are enjoying your weekend! <3 This is a wonderful post and it is so important! I first realized that I had depression when I was 14-years-old and anxiety when I was 16-years-old. I developed these issues soon after my father passed away as I was extremely close to him. I bottled them in for years, and only recently shared what I was going through with friends and family. I recently found out that I might actually have Bipolar II Disorder as I have depressive episodes that come and go as I experience 1-2 times a year for a great amount of time. I am only 22 at the moment, soon to be 23, and I only shared that I struggle with depression with my friends when I was 18- and 19-years-old and just recently shared with some of my family and all of my friends that I struggle with anxiety. It is not easy as my family does not truly understand, except my mother, but I am glad that I have her support and understanding as well as my husband's and friends'.
Going to have a good mindfulness weekend with my family. Older son is coming down 2.5 hours away and we are going to have fun playing games since it is Mother's day weekend.
Still working on Mastering this Mindfulness.
Maybe I am not consistent enough
@ASilentObserver
I personally struggled with depression most of my life. I have finally started to overcome it. Many years ago, I went on medication at the advice of a friend. I personally disliked what the medication did to me. I got off of it. I explored some alternatives. I tried many different therapists. Most did not help. I discovered meditation. It helped get rid of my anxiety I had at the time.
More recently, I realized I had to heal the root of my depression, which was faulty programming due to being raised by mentally ill parents. I enrolled in a course designed for this. It has helped me further. For the first time in my life, I feel like a functional adult.
I wish to reinforce what I have learned with mindfulness, as I know it is important for my well being.
I am grateful for finding 7 Cups and the Mindfulness Support Community.
