When you hear the term “mental health issues”, what do you think of? Do you think of depressed people lying in bed, do you think of yourself and that maybe somewhere deep down it rings true for you, does it sadden you, does it not even bother you?
For me the important thing isn’t just to think of mental health as being “depressed”, as it’s so much more than that. You may not agree, but I think every single one of us goes through some kind of mental health issue at some point in our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not, whether it’s big or small. There are times that we question who we are, what we’re doing and how much we like the person we’re becoming.
No matter how big or small, the important thing is that we talk about it, so that the people amongst us (including myself once upon a time) who are going through the harder times, know that they are not alone. Even though there is still a stigma attached to it and in ways it’s still a taboo subject, I do think we’re so much more open now compared to eight years ago when I was struggling. Maybe that’s because I’ve worked through a lot of issues and am happy to talk about my experiences now.
For those of you wanting to know about my personal journey, you can read about part of it here, where I go into detail about my struggles with eating disorders and depression – Cat Meffan Bulimia Journey. And you can also read my post about dealing with anxiety issues.
I saw an Instagram poem put up by Charlotte from Georgie Shore and I love the words. Here’s what it said:
You are not your age,
Nor the size of the clothes you wear,
You are not a weight,
Or the colour of your hair,
You are not your name,
Or the dimples in your cheeks,
You are all the books you read,
And all the words that you speak,
You are your croaky morning voice,
And the smiles you try to hide,
You’re the sweetness in your laughter,
And every tear you’ve cried,
You’re the songs you sing so loudly,
When you know you’re alone,
You’re the places you’ve been to,
And the one that you call home,
You’re the things that you believe in,
And the people that you love,
You’re the photos in your bedroom,
And the future you dream of,
You’re made of so much beauty,
But it seems that you forgot,
When you decided that your were defined,
By all the things you’re not.
Maybe these are just random words to some people, chosen because the rhyme, but to me they really hit my emotions, so I wanted to share them with you. If they make just one person smile for just one second, or just to think about the possibility of changing their mindset towards a more positive future, then writing them here was more than worthwhile.
Love, Cat x
