Let’s talk openly about our mental health.
Whether you follow the Royal Family or not, or agree with the decisions of the various family members or not is not what this post is about. Although this piece by Vox addresses Meghan Markle’s disclosure of experiencing suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy, it highlights some very important themes.
Society often has a view that wealth, power, and fame act as protective factors from experiencing issues with mental health. That more money, when we are experiencing sadness, depression, anxiety, or any other discomfort, would solve all our problems. Here is a Princess, the archetype fantasy for children growing up, that is suffering from depression. On top of that, the stigma and difficulty when she thought about speaking openly about what she was feeling. Then once she did ask for help having difficulty finding help. To me, this quote from Vox’s piece really drives this point home, “If a Princess asked for help, and couldn’t get help, what does this say about accessing mental health care?”
Depression, anxiety, or any of the other forms of emotional discomfort can be very scary. It can be extremely intimidating to speak about our discomfort to others. Yet, by trying to ignore or bottle up the discomfort we are doing ourselves a disservice. Denial only allows these uncomfortable feelings to fester and grow as they fight us for their space to exist and be recognized. If you have been in session with me then I am sure you have heard me say, that which we resist persists.
Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet in mental health. What we have found to be helpful in the healing process is the space to talk about what we are feeling and experiencing. Navigating discomfort is difficult enough, and trying to go at it alone can be detrimental for some. Having people you trust and speaking openly with them can help make the search for help much more efficient and feel less overwhelming in a difficult time. If you or someone you know is looking for help, we can be contacted here. And let us do all of ourselves a favor and talk about our mental health openly.
