More than once
TRIGGER WARNING - Mental Health discussed candidly
It's mental health awareness month, so what better time than to come out of the woodwork and write something about my own mental health journey!
For those of you that know me personally I'm pretty open about my mental health struggles. For those of you that don't know me quite as well yet, welcome!
On paper I've 'made it'. I've got a good job, house, decent car, a wonderful family that love me. Well, let me tell you something, mental illness cares not about what kind of car I'm driving. It doesn't discriminate. It can pick off the ones that are 'successful' just as easily as those who are at different stages in their career.
And it nearly got me ...
More than once I've stared 'into the abyss' and felt absolutely nothing.
More than once I've felt so utterly devoid of anything resembling worth to anyone.
More than once I've felt like I'm a burden to those around me.
More than once I've been to the edge and managed to come back.
So why am I sharing this? It's simple really. To let you know that you're not on your own. That the way that you're feeling is not just a you thing. That there are people out there who have suffered like you and have managed to find their way out of it.
领英推荐
To let you know that you're not useless, or a burden, and the world would be dimmer without your light shining in it.
I'm super fortunate to have a great support system (medical and personal), I know there are many other who can't access the supports I can, I understand my privilege in this. But I am missing something ...
A sense of community.
Community is the thing that I've been searching for and haven't found as yet.
So I think I'm going to start one.
I want a place where I can openly discuss my mental health and how it has been effecting me in my workplace. A safe space to share stories with like minded professionals, no matter if you're starting out, have your own gig or are a CEO.
Everyone is on an even footing. Everyone is equal. Everyone is welcome.
If anyone has any thoughts on this I'm absolutely down for a chat. Now to find some funding ...
In closing I'd like to say that my DMs are always open for those who need to talk. I'm no replacement for therapy, but if my own experiences can help anyone even just a little, I'd like to do so.
Also you might be wondering about the duck? Well that my friends is a story for another day ...
Ocean & Sustainability Advocate | Partnership & Project Management Maven | Under the sea is where you can find me
9 个月Thank you for sharing your story Stu. Having a safe space where you are supported by other professionals is a great initiative. Building a community of like minded people is a great start. Wishing you all the best and hope to catch up next time I'm in NL. Warm regards from Portugal x
???? Founder of ITM Events | Passionate about entrepreneur mental health | Mom and Fire Wife | Real Estate Investor | Voted TOP 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN EVENTS
9 个月Perfectly written Stu!
Dynamic Podcaster, Energy Therapist, Registered Social Worker, and Author at OnPurposeTransformations.ca,
9 个月Beautifully written and vital message. Community is such an important part of recovery from mental illness. And we can heal from those dark hopeless days of depression! This is why I wrote my soon to be published book, Healing is Possible: Ten Things You Need to Know to Heal. It will be on amazon soon. And Stu it is all energy based.