What Do You Wish People Knew About Your Mental Health
What Do You Wish People Knew About Your Mental Health
Living with mental health challenges sadly often means dealing with misconceptions or feeling misunderstood.
If you could tell others just one thing about your experience, what would it be?
Maybe it’s something people get wrong.
Maybe it’s something they never ask.
Maybe it’s what you wish someone had said to you or perhaps something else!
Please share below if you feel comfortable to do so. I look forward to reading your contributions and discussing such an important topic. 🌻
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS I wish that people understood that I am not going to be my "usual" self every day. Especially dealing with a mood disorder. I wish it wasn't that way, but it is. You can't expect sunshine that day, there might be a storm.
@lindorcarameltruffles
Sometimes we need those stormy conditions to learn from those and I hope that you enjoy those more happier days. Managing and living with a mood disorder is challenging and you do so well to be open about what you're going through. I am glad you are here with us at 7 Cups :)
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS I wish people knew that mental health can't be cured just by therapy, it'll always be there subconsciously, it'll pop out on and off but the only thing that changes is how you deal with it
@iloveredvelvet1304
You've articulated such a crucial truth that many people miss at times. It's so important for others to understand that mental health challenges often aren't about finding a "cure" that makes them disappear entirely. It's incredibly insightful to recognize that these experiences can linger, subtly present, and sometimes even resurface; and none of this means that we "did not try enough" or that we need to start again from scratch.
What truly changes, as you said, is how you learn to deal with it. That's where the incredible strength and progress lie I feel~ in developing the tools, understanding, and resilience to navigate those moments when they do "pop out." It's an ongoing journey of management and self-awareness, not a one-time fix, and acknowledging that takes immense wisdom and honesty. 💛 I am soooo proud of you!
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS that mental health issue doesn't mean you are a weak person...
In fact you're very strong for fighting something with all your might in spite of not having the support you require.
@Creamyyy
Yessss! You've hit on such an important truth. Having a mental health issue absolutely does not mean you're weak. In fact, it's the complete opposite, I believe!
The strength it takes to face a mental health challenge, especially when you're doing it without the support you need, is immense. It's like fighting a battle every single day, often an invisible one, and that requires incredible resilience and courage. You're showing immense strength just by continuing to navigate what you're going through. It's a testament to your inner fortitude, not a sign of weakness. 💛
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
I wish people knew my mental health is delicate.
I may appear to be doing fine. It may seem I'm perfectly capable of a great deal of things. But in all honesty, I'm barely walking again. My legs have been broken so long I'm not sure I'll ever walk properly, let alone run.
And it gives me guilt, for I want nothing more than to contribute. I've seen what happens when I live conventionally. I completely break down. And so I must find other ways to spend my time, and I swear I will not waste a single second.
@cyanessence
I hope you are finding lots of valuable and purposeful ways to spend your time! It sounds interesting :) What are you focused on?
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Well, do they have to know?
There are a lot of cultures where this question would never be asked and one had better not share "troubles".
@Fradiga
That is a good question! :) I would say that sharing is something that might be relevant to your background, culture, religion, lived experiences, societal factors etc and you have to feel comfortable to share. If you do not, this is okay too! 🌻
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Hard not to approve, right? I know of cultures where you can broadcast how your last bowel movement went and this over dinner. People like you or me would be quite shocked but hey....
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS my nightmares... the constant fear..
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
I Miss My Sweet Boy
On September 26, 2024, my life changed forever.
About a year and a half before that, I had been added to a *** group filled with people from all over the world. Over time, we bonded through our shared love for music, our hobbies, and similar life experiences. That group became my safe space, a place where I felt understood and accepted. Nothing ever seemed wrong there. It felt like home.
Among the people in the group was someone named Kayden. He was one of the kindest souls I’d ever met. He didn’t talk much, but when he did, his words stayed with me for days. His messages had a way of making my world feel lighter. One day, he added me separately to start doing streaks, and we began talking more. In just a few months, we became inseparable. The thousands of miles between us didn’t matter, we were there for each other, every single day. We’d call for hours, talk about everything, and most importantly, we supported one another through the darkness.
Kayden was going through a lot. His parents had divorced, and although he knew his mom wouldn’t care for him properly, he chose to live with her just to stay close to his little brother. His mom was barely home, always out with her boyfriend, and when she was around, she was smoking or drinking. There was rarely enough food. Kayden always made sure his brother ate, even if it meant starving himself.
At school, things weren’t any better. Because of a bit of face fat, kids mocked him relentlessly, calling him things like “cow” and “fat.” That constant bullying led to body dysmorphia and eventually anorexia. He’d go days without eating or throw up whatever little food he had. In just two months, he lost over 20kg. Still, he was strong for his brother, and for me.
The more I got to know him, the more I realized how similar we were. We liked the same music, had annoying little brothers, and neither of us had close relationships with our parents. After four months of growing closer, I finally had the courage to ask him to be my boyfriend. I promised I would always be there, that we would be each other’s rock through everything.
The first two months were beautiful. We talked every day, called every night, and it felt like he was slowly getting better. But then something changed.
My sweet, gentle best friend started drinking, smoking, vaping, and even self-harming. When I found out, my heart shattered into pieces, pieces I’m still trying to put back together. I told him I would help him through it. I made that promise, and I meant it.
Then his dad came to visit and went through his phone. For weeks, Kayden had been texting me about wanting to end his life. I had done everything I could to change his mind. I thought I had helped. But his dad read everything, took away his phone, and left him completely cut off. No social media. No way to reach me.
For days, I thought he was gone. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t function. Then, two weeks later, he messaged me from his laptop: “I got my account on my laptop, but add my new account.” I was so relieved. We talked again, and I kept trying to pull him out of the darkness. But over time, I realized this relationship, while built on love and care, was starting to hurt me too. His socials kept getting taken away, and every time I lost contact with him, I had a mini heart attack. I never knew if he was safe or alive.
That summer, Summer 2024, he disappeared for three whole months. No message. No trace. I truly believed he had died. I tried to end my own life more than twenty times that summer. I was drowning in grief and guilt. I missed him so much. But then, something broke inside me. I started to think maybe I hadn’t done enough. Maybe I focused too much on my own problems instead of listening to his cries for help. Maybe my silence cost him his life.
Then, someone in my school group, someone manipulative and cruel, named Isaac, leaked a video. In it, Kayden pointed a gun to his head.
I froze.
A month later, in August, a new *** account with the name "Kayden" added me. I got a message:
“It’s not me, Isaac, I promise. It’s Kayden.”
But I didn’t believe it. I thought it was another lie. Another sick joke. That was the last conversation I ever had with him.
The next day, the video surfaced again, but this time, the gun wasn’t on safety.
He pulled the trigger.
I’ve tried convincing myself it was fake. That it wasn’t real. That maybe, just maybe, if I had believed that message… if I had trusted it was really him… things might have ended differently.
Maybe he’d still be here.
Maybe we’d still be talking.
Maybe I’d still get to hear his voice telling me everything would be okay.
I miss him so much. I miss my sweet boy.
@kata2010 I'm so sorry...
@wittyDay6425
I’m trying to heal, but it’s really hard. The truth is, I know I’ll never fully get over it, how could I? He was my first love, and that kind of love never truly leaves you. But I also know I need to find a way to make peace with what happened. I need to learn how to carry the pain without letting it break me. I owe it to myself to keep going, even if a part of me will always miss him.
@kata2010 that's really beautiful to say... you're so strong that i wanna be like you..
@wittyDay6425
im far from stromg
I can’t imagine the memories and the PTSD… I’m so sorry :’(
@kata2010
Sometimes with certain situations there are just no words but please know my thoughts are with you as you have gone through so much. Please take good care of yourself and continue to reach out. You're not alone.
Mental health concerns don't go away. You have to overcome them. You have to live around them or try to move away.
So you must be patient. And surround yourself with people who are also patient. And if you can find those people, explain to them what it feels like so they can try to help. Because isolation won't make it better alone.
If someone isn't patient with your mental status, that isn't love. Love is patient. And love is kind. So try not to concern yourself with their relationship because they demand more than you can keep up with.
@BelongtotheSun
I wholeheartedly agree with your words of wisdom and think your words come from a place where you understand. That shared sense of vulnerability is so healing and I think it'll help people so much reading your words :)
I wish people understood the amount of effort we actually spend.. to just "look normal" and do what others easily do. What feels easy for most, might be heavy as a mountain for others...
Support for all 💐
@Brightwords12
It is so challenging when struggling with mental health issues to do things that some might find easy but you're doing it daily and should be so proud of what you have overcome daily.
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS I wish my family and friends were there when I needed them the most and they could try to understand that sometimes smiling does not mean you are not struggling and that my problems are not just excuses for not doing things I not even suppose to. I wish they knew how many nights I was just crying in my bed and how much of suicidal thoughts were in my mind at such a young age. I wish they knew struggling from depression and anxiety can make to tired and exhausted you can get irritated easily, you can say thing you didn't meant. I wish they knew I love them but I am not sure if they feel the same towards me. My friends are so judging I can't say a word about myself in front of them so I became a good listener because I know how it feels to be judged, I started to heal everyone except myself. I am here to stop myself from getting dangerous thoughts and lastly I wish everyone would know that if I am smiling outside doesn't mean I am not broken inside. People say you should listen to your heart in tough times but when my heart is in million pieces which one should I listen. I wish I was confident in fights for myself, I don't know why I end up crying when I'm angry or irritated because that makes others think that I am weak but I am not. I just want to be confident about myself
@SilentStar13
With the level of understanding you have of suffering just know that you can help so many people but for now just know that you are not alone. We see you very much here at 7 Cups and think you are doing so well at showing up each and every single day despite the challenges you face.
