Shit you won’t find in a Self Help Book!

‘Mental health’ is a phrase we hear all the time, but what we rarely see is the messy, unphotogenic side of it.  The part that doesn’t get all dressed up, looking pretty for Instagram.  It’s not always therapy rooms, tidy diagnoses, or inspirational quotes on pastel coloured backdrops.  It can be that though and for some people it has to be, but for so many of us, it’s the invisible stuff.  Sometimes it’s staring at your toothbrush like it’s a weapon of mass destruction.  Sometimes it’s crying in the shower because washing your hair feels like the hardest thing in the world.  Sometimes it’s cancelling plans, switching off socials, or avoiding texts because the thought of one more interaction makes your skin crawl. The last month & a bit for me has been heavy.  Maybe it’s the leftover grief from July. It’s like the whole month is a weight I carry in my chest.  This year, August felt like the hangover from that, or maybe the grief just seeped fu...

People don’t believe me when I say I have high functioning anxiety and depression. I am often met with statements like: “You? No way. You’re always so happy.” “But you’re living the dream life? What do you have to be depressed about?” “You don’t know what how bad it can get…” I’ve discovered that a lot of people who’ve said these things, were just projecting, but there are others who simply don’t understand! All because I smile a lot. Because I continue to function. Because I still show up, do hard things, hold the space, post the content, keep the conversations going. Because I laugh. Because I get shit done. Because I’m seen as strong & resilient. When reality is a much different story! Having strength & resilience, doesn’t negate the absence of uncertainty & pain. It just camouflages it at times. I feel the majority of people who make these statements have never experienced or witnessed high functioning anxiety & depression in full flight.  So this is what it loo...