I was listening to a guest speaker at an online conference about mental health who was talking about her lived experience and felt that having other people acknowledge what you had or experienced was a start in being able to get help.

I also felt that acknowledging to yourself how you are struggling and how much grief and loss you are feeling is something one may need to work out what will help.

I know the words awareness and acknowledgement are bandied about a bit, but I don’t feel it makes them less important or relevant. If we don’t understand what we are dealing with, how will others know.

I think many times we say to our friends and family, I am fine - maybe we are lying to ourselves and others. Also, if others dismiss our concerns as “Oh everyone feels like that” or “Just move on and stop being so down”, it does not help us.

It can take years to acknowledge our shame, pain and or suffering. I know it took me 30 years before I felt ok to tell other people I had bipolar and to eventually talk to community groups.

Do you find acknowledging is a long process or was it something you realised you needed to do from the beginning of your mental health journey?

What does acknowledging your mental health experiences mean to you?

Leah

A Moodscope member.