A little bit late to the party, but it shouldn't matter when it is for a good cause. The aim of the above is awareness, but quite often all you see is those on social media who are the first to insult and discuss others lives posting about being kind and compassionate.
So where is the compassion the other 364 days of the year.
I try my hardest to be kind to others, I am not perfect, I have said things about people I regret. We are all human, and very much opinionated. The difference is the way we handle those opinions, whether we act on them or not.
Raising awareness for our mental health shouldn’t be just a 24 hour stint of posting a paragraph pretending to care, when if people were to contact you in the middle of the night you wouldn’t answer, or say you were busy. It is an ongoing battle to understand those around us, trying to be aware of them whilst also taking care of ourselves. People forget that not everyone shows signs of mental health, some of the happiest appearing people in the world can be suffering.
In the past few years the world has came a long way in lowering the stigma around mental health, with the first ever world mental health day being held in 1992. But there is still a long way to go - like stigmas in everything else, there are always going to be those who disagree and continue to live in the dark ages.
With all the posts on the internet about being their for everyone; just a reminder...
Do not make promises to people that you cannot keep.
Sometimes, it isn't the lack of help from others that makes people suffer more, instead it is when you are aware of the situation and then chose to ignore it. You hand someone the hope that you will be there when you need them and then without notification or explanation - vanish, making them feel unworthy of your attention.
Only promise to be there for someone if you actually can. Everyone has their own lives, we know that, problems are just something that comes hand-in-hand with being alive.
Mental health will never be something that is easily understood, with everyone suffering and dealing in different ways; but as long you are cautious, careful and look out for those around you, enough to notice if something is not quite right, then you are doing the best you can. People can not blame themselves for others taking their own lives or suffering in silence - not everyone's cry for help is obvious, some people don't want help. Do not blame yourself for someone else suffering (unless you genuinely did cause it) and do not carry other peoples problems on your shoulders if you can't handle it.
Do not feel guilty for putting yourself first. Helping yourself is helping combat mental health.
Like they always say;
If a plane was crashing down,
you put your own mask on first,
you are no use to anyone
if you can't look after yourself first.
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