May is the month of national mental health awareness, and this year’s theme is “power in all stories.”
Too often, people who deal with mental health problems feel as if they are alone and no one understands what they are experiencing. But it is far from the event.
If you live for a long time, you can meet or experience people with mental health problems.
I learned that in middle school, I don’t have to be helped when life seemed to be overwhelming. Of course, at that time I was not a decision. But thank you for thinking that someone wants to get the help you need.
At that time, I meditated to end my life because I was an object of harassment. I felt that I was not supported at home, and I felt that I was punished instead of torture.
My pride was shattered, and I was finally forced to support a group, as someone was listening to me.
When I was 19 years old, when my father died of cancer, I faced another trauma that harassed me for decades. Everything happened so quickly. He was trapped in the hospital because he felt bad and died nine days later. There was a lot to deal with.
About a year later, one of my friends was killed by my ex -boyfriend. Again, I felt my world collapsed around me. I had a problem with sleeping, I didn’t want to eat, and I knew I had to ask for help. Sadly, I went to the wrong place, and I heard that it would be just dealing with sadness and be fine.
After 10 years, I learned that I could not cope again. It was after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. I was responsible for the first page of the newspaper at that time. I worked as a non -stop for several weeks and saw a lot of images of things we will never print.
All the traumas of the death of my father and friend have collapsed on me. I had something that could only be described as a post -traumatic stress event when the plane crashed immediately after the terror attack. I was shaking too badly because I didn’t think I could do my work that day.
Happy, I was able to access the employee support program and I learned that conversation therapy actually helped me to deal with my unresolved sadness. It also helped to develop a response technology that will help you later.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 2019, I was already a mother’s caregiver who had dementia and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in early 2015. My diagnosis looked like a cruel fate.
A person who deals with cancer knows that there is a tremendous emotional burden with the disease. It is not surprising that adding emotional baggage to be a caregiver should be helped. Happy, this time, support was provided through my cancer center.
About a year later, I thought I was ready to handle things myself. After all, Tony’s dementia was not yet bad (now I see me), or I no longer cared for my mother who died in 2018.
Then covid-19 pandemic. I am not too many people who are not emotionally affected by it. Fear and stress were today’s order for most people.
For me, I have added stress to see my beloved Tony gets worse. He still entered an infectious disease that could do a lot of work that could no longer be done.
Then in 2024 I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. As a result, who can blame me for returning to counseling? Not only did I deal with all the cancer anxiety again, but now the burden of nursing is much heavier.
Thank you for approaching the necessary help. I don’t think I should not be ashamed of admitting that someone needs help.
Life happens to all of us.
It’s okay if it’s not okay. I know it’s okay to get help.
• Joan Oliver is an editor of former Northwest Herald Assistant News. She has been associated with North West Herald since 1990. she is jolivercolumn@gmail.com.
