What does "Mental Health Awareness" Mean to Me

I started finding “awareness” of mental health at the age of 24. At the time, I didn’t call it “awareness” or “mental health” at all because these buzz words were not a thing, social media was not a thing, and talking about “it” was certainly not a thing… 

I was living in Boston, working as an event planner for the Chamber of Commerce, and about to get married. I sought out a psychiatrist to talk to about the feelings I was having. I had overwhelm, I had OCD tendencies and I had self doubt. 

Why was I struggling? There is not one answer, but I am a believer that there were and are chemical imbalances that needed a bit of assistance in order to feel better. 

What does struggling look like on the outside?

  • Overly expressive

  • Seemingly extroverted 

  • High highs

  • Low lows

  • Endless energy 

  • A “people person” 

  • A “people pleaser”  

What struggling looks like on the inside… 

  • Dependency on repetitive behavior (structure) 

  • Dependency on alcohol or drugs

  • Dependency on praise 

  • Dependency on control 

I can go on and on and on… 

I am here to stay real in my stories. YES - I share the highlights to include my kid’s accomplishments, my race day recaps and lots of opportunities to get all dressed up. But, I will Never stop sharing the truth that I have come to know and societies buzz word calls “mental health awareness”. 

Last night, my brother asked me what I am doing for myself. I run for mental health. I nap for mental health. I stay sober for mental health. I go to bed early for mental health. My mental health is not your mental health. You don’t need to run, nap, sober up and go to bed early… but, I encourage you to figure out what you need for your own mental health. 

Colleen YooComment