Day 1 - Mental Health Week

It is mental health week this week. It is time to #getloud about mental health and support those struggling. Over 10% of our population is struggling with a mental health issue right now. Think about that today when you are out and about. 1 in every 10 people you see is suffering, most of them in silence due to the stigma surrounding mental health issues. I am going to do my part this week to end the stigma surrounding mental health by opening up about my struggles. There was a day not so long ago that I kept silent about everything that I was dealing with. I self medicated and struggled with addiction issues for most of my life. Not today. Today I am open and honest with myself and the people that love me. It is not easy opening up but I know today that if I want to live, I have to do this as I know the alternative. The living hell that I lived in my addiction is not simply a memory, it is a reality for me.

As many of you know, I have struggled with addiction for most of my life. What some of you do not know is that a lot of my addiction issues were precipitated by the mental health issues that I remained silent about. It has only been the past 6 months that I have actually began therapy to deal with my mental health issues. The therapy I do today, and every couple weeks is EMDR. EMDR helps me with my behavioral issues, my emotional suppression as well as my unresolved C-PTSD. This therapy is quite challenging and frustrating for me but I remain confident that in a year from now I will see the world quite differently. Being open and honest with myself and others is the key to successful treatment. If anyone out there is struggling and wants someone safe and empathetic to talk to, know that I am always here and will listen any time.