Mental health is something that is talked about a lot on social media by influencers and celebrities. They talk about needing to talk more, to discuss our feelings and to be open about what makes us feel low and unhappy. The problem is that these people who are discussing mental health on social media aren’t discussing it to raise awareness; they do it for likes. Which then contributes to mental health issues and a need for people to seek help. 

Why focus on Mental Health?

Your mental health is one of the most important things that you should be paying attention to in your life. Why? Your brain is your leader. It feeds every movement and feeling that your body has, and it’s an organ. If your heart was in pain, you would see a doctor to fix it. With mental health services, there are long lists with people waiting for months for help. There are not enough spaces in programs to get the right advice. There is not enough time between feeling urgently low and getting help. Lastly, many people with mental health issues don’t turn to anyone, because many people are told that they don’t have a problem and they’re just complaining. The right mental health services can change the game. It’s just a matter of having the will to try.

When you’re in the thick of a low point mentally, the words of an influencer on social media is not going to help. Hashtags for mental health days and suicide awareness and prevention days do not help. People talk as much as they want about how they wish their friends and families spoke up, but when they do speak up, they’re ignored and brushed aside. The eye rolls happen and you go deeper into the darkness, hiding your pain and hiding how you really feel about things going in your world. The darkness envelops you and you find comfort in the loneliness, eventually allowing it to take over. 

The thing is, the darkness isn’t all there is. You don’t need a preachy influencer or a “friend” who eye rolls at your pain. You do, however, need help, and it starts with you. It starts with digging deep and identifying the sources of your pain. If you can’t find the source, because you really don’t know why you feel the way that you do, then you need to seek the light. Make an effort to find a torch and find the light that you so desperately seek. 

You Are Strong

This takes strength. You will fail sometimes. Some days, you won’t be able to do more than get out of bed. However, these little failures, these small acts of trying, they are often enough to help you to get to the next day and the next. If there’s one thing you need to realise about mental health services, it’s that they are there if you want to wait for them. There is also you, your will, and how much you can do your best to move forward inch by tiny inch. Even an inch of movement to improving life and improving your mental health gets you that step toward the light.