How to have courage when talking about your mental health…
Why Talking About Mental Health Is Good For You
Talking about your thoughts and feelings helps you process and deal with them. If you’ve got a lot on your mind, or there’s a worry niggling away at you, it can feel like a weight off your shoulders to open up and talk about it.
Talking over your problems helps you gain perspective, too. Sometimes, that one thing you’ve been agonising over for days can suddenly seem less important when you say it out loud. You may even find a solution to your problem as you talk through it.
It’s healthy to talk. Your mental health can suffer when you keep worries and fears bottled up inside. You feel more stressed, anxious and, sometimes, depressed. Sharing your troubles helps you relieve these pent-up feelings. Read more about why talking about your mental health is good for you here.
Why Is It So Hard To Talk About Mental Health?
It’s not always easy to talk about our mental health struggles. Many of us find it difficult to talk about feelings and emotions. It’s scary to be vulnerable with others, even with those we’re close to. We worry about being judged, dismissed or ostracised. And yet we wouldn’t think twice about telling someone if we were struggling with a broken arm. We wouldn’t feel ashamed or worried about judgement. There’s still a stigma around mental health and we need to work together to make this taboo a thing of the past.
Find Your Brave
We’re here to help you find your brave – to discover your Hidden Strength and use your voice to ask for help when you need it. Because no-one should ever have to struggle alone.
- Write It Down
Being open about your mental health often means being honest with yourself first. Writing down your thoughts and fears can help you discover what’s at the root of your problems and this can make it easier to communicate your struggles to others.
- Reach Out
It can be scary to summon up the courage to say the words, “I’m struggling and I need help” but this is the first step in getting the support you need. Opening up about your mental health is brave and strong. Whoever you decide to reach out to – family member, friend, colleague, doctor – it’s important be honest about how you’re feeling and how this is affecting your life.
Getting the initial words out can be the hardest part but once you do, we promise you will feel as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. Stuck for what to say? Keep it simple and honest with one of these openers:
- “I’m not OK and I need help with my mental health”
- “I’m really struggling at the moment. Can I talk to you about it?”
- “I really need someone to talk to. I’m not OK.”
If you find it difficult to speak up, you can always send a message with these words to get the conversation started. Never suffer in silence – there is always help out there. Get more advice on how to ask for help here.
- It’s OK To Cry
There’s no shame in showing your tears – crying is not a weakness. Tears are a sign that a person is showing their true emotions and is feeling overwhelmed, and that’s brave. Crying also helps you process and reduce emotional stress so it’s an important part of dealing with mental health struggles. To get more help and support with talking about mental health, click here.
