By Natalie Glidewell
The best step towards understanding the five signs of mental suffering is to be open and honest about our experiences. It’s important that we create and foster an open dialogue addressing mental health with the people we are close to. It’s important to know when it’s #TimeToTalk.
Recently, I did just that. I spoke with my friend Rose about her experiences dealing with mental suffering. At the start of our conversation, Rose shared that she has battled depression and anxiety since the age of 14.
“I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t depressed or anxious,” she said. “The depression side of it makes every day a battle because that’s the voice in my head telling me I shouldn’t get out of bed in the morning and that nobody wants to talk to me.”
Dealing with mental suffering is an everyday battle. Especially, the combination of depression and anxiety, one constantly combatting the other. Rose was able to explain how anxiety counteracts her feelings of depression in a very real and relatable way.
Rose said, “The anxiety part tells me, if you don’t get out of bed you’ll fail all of your classes, you won’t get a job and you’ll live with your parents forever.”
That was the point in our conversation when I realized even though I don’t experience severe depression or anxiety, I still relate to the same fears and overwhelming emotions as someone who does. From there, I wanted to focus our conversation on the five signs of mental suffering. I asked Rose to think of moments when she has experienced each of the five signs of mental suffering and how helpful it would have been if people close to her were able to recognize them.
Personality Change
“People often neglect personality change as a sign of mental suffering. They may notice I’m acting strange, but they won’t always investigate or ask why I’m acting differently. They just brush off my behavior changes and fail to recognize it’s rooted in something more serious.”
Agitation
“When my mental health is not at it’s best, if I’m feeling off in any way, it’s like everything around me is not okay. I could go on and on about all of the things that made me angry or frustrated that day. I often look back and see how silly it was to be so frustrated, but in the moment it’s not in my control.”
Withdrawal
“Whenever I’m in a bad place with my mental health I don’t talk to people. I stay away from the things and people that I like and most people in my life can’t pick up on what is happening until I tell them. Then they understand why I missed a meeting or skipped class. Withdrawal is something that goes hand in hand with my depression.”
Poor Self-Care
“Last semester, I know from October to December I had to make myself wash my face every night when it used to be a clockwork thing. When you’re in a bad spot with your mental health, you don’t want to do the little things even though you know you’re supposed to. You lose all energy.”
Hopelessness
“I think anyone who has ever experienced suicidal ideation has felt hopeless. I don’t deal with it as much, it doesn’t come up as frequently, but every now and again it’s seen as an option and I have to combat that. I remind myself that’s not the answer and never will be.”
The hardest part for people battling mental suffering is reaching out and asking for help. It’s difficult to admit that you’re going through something, which is why it’s important for others to step up and reach out. All it takes is a conversation. It takes someone saying, “I can tell you’re going through a really rough time right now. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Pledging to learn the five signs of mental suffering is so important. The more people are able to recognize the signs of mental suffering, the more people will help others. The campaign #TimeToTalk aims to educate Ball State University students about the five signs of mental suffering and encourage them to take action by talking to those who need help.
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