World Mental Health Day

Yesterday was “World Mental Health Day.”

A few years ago I would have tried to write something
meaningful and share it with the world. Now, not so much.
I haven’t written on this blog in awhile. I don’t feel particularly inspirational right now.

And maybe that’s the topic. How some days you don’t have any motivation and that’s okay.
It’s part of it. The part most people will never understand if they haven’t dealt with mental illness.
They won’t understand the physical pain you go through in the morning when you don’t want to leave
your bed, and how you convince yourself you must be physically ill because how can depression
hurt this badly?

But that’s the thing: it does.

The headaches, nausea, the complete lack of appetite, that’s not the pills talking
(although they do that too). It’s your body dying for rest and hurting so badly from the
exhaustion that you’re going through right now. 

And you’ll hate it. 

You’ll hate how many times depression causes you to miss work, to miss your friends birthday,
to not be able to enjoy the sunshine anymore. 

But you know what? 

I have a secret to tell you: it gets better. 

It might take a week maybe even two, but it gets better. 

Because you have a secret weapon: You. 

You are your own super power. All you have to do is keep going. Keep moving.
Don’t let yourself lay back down on that couch. Don’t let yourself go back in that dark bedroom.
Get up and keep moving. Even if it means that you got dressed that day and didn’t stay in pajamas.
You did that. Go to the store and make yourself smile at one person. Smiling helps.
Even if it’s fake, next time it’ll be real. It’ll tell your brain that you are actually happy. 

Do something creative. Get those negative thoughts out of your brain.
Look in the mirror and tell yourself “You’re amazing”. Because you know what, you are. You
have to deal with this every single day of your life, and you are still here. You’re here to tell your story.

You can tell everyone how brave you are.