This post is brought to you by Bring Change 2 Mind. All opinions expressed are our own.
Today I’d like to discuss something that a lot of people are uncomfortable talking about…mental illness. There are so many different forms of mental illness…depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, ADD—the list goes on. I wanted to take a moment to let you all know about the mental illness that I have struggled with off and on over the years. Depression & Anxiety.
Depression is a scary thing. As a stay at home mom, during my early years I had no idea how hard it would be. Often times people get the image of a stay at home mom as a carefree person who can sit around and do whatever they want all day long. It really isn’t that glamorous. Let me start by saying that I am blessed and absolutely love being a stay at home mom, however there can be times when you feel overwhelmed and alone. While you may have a house full of kids day in and day out, you don’t have that adult conversation and you don’t have the outside world to connect with. If we aren’t careful we can quickly find ourselves cooped up on the house with no one to talk to. We tend to start to reject offers to go out with friends because of guilt from leaving the children and before we know it our friends stop calling all together. Many times women who stay home will think only of others in the household and not tend to their own needs. This is just my opinion, but I feel like we all need a little “ME” time. I don’t care if you make yourself a cup of tea and sit in the bathtub or on the front porch after the kids are in bed, you need a little time to just think and unwind without all of the hustle and bustle of the day.
The day I realized how closed in from the outside world I had let myself get and how stressed and alone I felt, I started to make changes. It didn’t happen over night, and my anxiety still gets to me sometimes, but I’m learning to control it and to let others help—and spend time with me.
Bring Change 2 Mind (BC2M) is a nonprofit organization built to start the conversation about mental health. Mental illness doesn’t have to be hidden and kept behind closed doors. It’s okay to talk about it and can really be empowering when you do. BC2M would like to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness through widely distributed Public Education Materials based on the latest scientific insights and measured for effectiveness. They act a s portal (so to speak) to a broad coalition of organizations that provide service, screening, information, support and treatment for mental illness. Bring Change 2 Mind is a national anti-stigma campaign aimed at removing misconceptions about mental illness.
I’ve shared my story with you, now won’t you share yours? You can go to the Bring Change 2 Mind site to share your story.
You can also find BC2M on social media:
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