Taboo

Day 35 of my 40 Day Blog Challenge. So I am wondering about getting to day 39 and then taking a break until Easter Sunday. In the meantime I shall continue to collect new contributions (please keep them coming in!) and focus on getting more exposure to the contributions that have already been written. I shall also spend some time thinking about and planning what happens next, since this blog has attracted far more interest than I imagined it would. Watch this space!

Today, I’m going to reblog something simple I wrote a couple of years ago about the Taboo surrounding mental wellbeing…

Seeking help for our emotional wellbeing can be difficult. What good can it do anyway? It’s not as if it’s going to change anything. What’s done and all that…

There are many reasons we may put off seeking specific support for our emotional wellbeing/mental health. But perhaps at the crux of the issue is our abject fear of being found out, as showing ourselves as something other than having it all together; as being weak. At work we keep quiet for fear of being seen as not up to the job. In the family we remain silent, after all, everyone else seems to manage. In our faith community we don’t speak out for fear of being seen as not having enough faith in…

The idea of actually saying what we are feeling or thinking, of being honest about our innermost thoughts is probably an alien one to most of us. The alternative? We hold onto it. We deal with it alone. Sadly for many of us this leads eventually to suffering it too. Instead of processing those things which can be difficult, we turn inward, go over and over the problem, until eventually the anxiety hits crisis point.

Numerous studies on our mental health have shown that being in community, maintaining healthy and active friendships and generally being connected to the world around us are all an essential part of maintaining our mental and emotional wellbeing.

For whatever reason, we don’t seem to work well in isolation. Is it truly a sign of weakness to admit to what’s difficult? No. This attitude only serves to maintain the taboo around our mental health.

The truth is that in sharing our struggles with another/others, we begin to find resource and ultimately strength. In accepting our weakness, we move towards embracing our humanity, and begin the journey of healing.

If you feel you have a story to share, or something to say about mental health or wellbeing, then please do get in touch.