Having struggled with anxiety for many years, I now know two things for certain:
- Talking about it helps – a lot!
- Lots of people are struggling with mental health issues
At quite an early stage of my adulthood, I realised that I experienced fear and stress levels that seem to fall outside what everyone else is feeling. Although I now know that this wasn’t true, it was how I saw it at the time.
This realisation led me to shy away from doing lots of things, with social anxiety becoming a real issue. What I was feeling wasn’t pleasant. Irrational fears, panic attacks, and shyness were just some of the negative emotions I got caught up in.
Over the years, I developed a set of tools to cope with my anxiety, including meditation, prayer, herbal remedies, energy healing, and many more besides. These tools have helped with to live with much-reduced anxiety levels. Having said that, I still need to make an effort to remain calm and fearless when the pressure comes on.
The Importance of Talking and Sharing
No doubt the most crucial realisation was that talking about my anxiety really helped. Once I decided to share my mental health issues, I soon discovered that most people struggle on some level. Sharing and discussing ways to cope became one of my main coping mechanisms. Whenever something happened, I’d talk to someone to see what advice I would get.
I also soon realised that my experiences could be useful to other people. Together, we worked out ways to manage stress and anxiety, all the while supporting each other.
In my experience, having someone else examine what you’re feeling and allowing them to give you a non-judgmental, unclouded view is invaluable. What also surprised me was that other people’s coping mechanisms managed to see me through tough times when I was at my wit’s end.
Everyone Gets Stressed and Anxious Sometimes
Hearing other people talk about their mental issues highlighted that I wasn’t alone. What’s more, it gave me the courage to be open about it. This meant that a large part of the social pressure I was feeling dropped away. Suddenly, I didn’t have to pretend that I was on top of things all the time.
Once I realised that life became much easier. Throughout this process, I also learned that looking after your mental health is equally if not more important than looking after your physical health.
Online Mental Health Awareness Campaigns
Thankfully, mental health has now become a topic of conversation. Websites like this one, along with mental health support groups on Facebook, have provided invaluable information and support for thousands of people. Now, people are less afraid to share their problems, and the stigma is waning.
Because all these issues are so close to my heart, I set up a website. On noneedtobestrong.com, you’ll find topic-related tips, poems, and links to useful resources.
Mental Health – Join the Discussion
Seeing as talking to people about my issues has helped me so much, I decided to set up a mental health discussion forum on my website. The idea is to invite people to join and share their thoughts, tips, and troubles.
If you would like to join this forum, you can register by clicking here.
Why Talking Helps
Here’s a quick summary to highlight why talking about anxiety, depression, stress, and other mental health issues helps:
- You get feelings and thoughts off your chest
- You discover that you’re not alone and that many others experience similar issues
- You get advice and tips
- You become part of a support network
- You give and receive support
- You help other people
- You help to break down the mental health stigma
- You raise awareness and help to promote good mental health
Final Thoughts
If you’re struggling, remember, you’re not alone. Despite what it may look like, most people experience some mental health issues. Sharing your feelings and talking to others is one of the best ways of coping.