Random Musings: Mental Health
Kindness, Keeping an Open Mind and Self-care
This was a brain dump about Mental Health from 2018 while I was on medical leave after having another mental breakdown.
Having a Mental Health isn’t a tragedy. It only is if we continue staying indifferent. No one expects you to save anyone. WE CAN’T. But we can be always kind and compassionate. That’s enough to give anyone a reason to think that the world is beautiful (or at the very least, bearable), be it a loved one or a stranger, whether they need it or not, regardless if they have a disorder or not. Stop inflicting damage for whatever reason it is that you think or feel is valid. There’s already too much pain in the world that we’re ALL enduring every day. We get upset whenever we see atrocious acts of hate in the news, but have you checked yourself lately? How do you see and treat the people around you? The lack of understanding or the beliefs that you’ve been accustomed to doesn’t (and never will) give you the right to judge, to impose, or to be cruel.
Also, let me tell you that Mental Health disorders aren’t always equivalent to suicide. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as feeling PAIN, regardless of what sort, the amount, or the reason. And so never underestimate anyone’s pain (with or without disorder). Sometimes, feelings may seem irrelevant or irrational, but they are NEVER invalid. They should always be acknowledged. We all grew up influenced by varying intricate factors. What we think is irrelevant or irrational may not be the case for others AND VICE VERSA. We are not all-knowing, and we never will be. In fact, there are a million other things going on in this life that we’re still completely clueless of. Keep an open mind. Listen without bias.
Last and most importantly, Mental Health and conscious self-care is also REAL. It is not to be taken lightly. It’s as real and equally important as your jobs, your bills, your errands, your goals, or whatever other things that you think matter more. It is your 24/7 responsibility to make sure it’s not to be set aside for later. Do not let life and its expectations consume you. Do not live a mindless life. Do not wait for the day when everything is already beyond what you can manage. We’re all strong, I know, but everyone has a threshold. Yes, you can probably keep carrying on running on empty fuel. I know because that’s what I did for the past N years. I thought I was doing fine even when I was already beyond exhausted. I thought I could make it so long as I put my mind into it. And then one day, I woke up left with no choice but to face the consequences. I stopped functioning and I still don’t know when I’ll be able to keep up with reality again without ending up in the hospital. I learned that I have several health conditions that could’ve been prevented if only I PAID ATTENTION. These days, I always find myself asking, “How did I end up here? Why did I let myself?” and I sincerely don’t want ANYONE to end up asking the same questions. So allow me to ask in case you haven’t asked yourself yet. How are you? How have you been holding up? Surviving LIFE is tough, no matter how privileged you are in whatever way that means.
