Mental Illness Isn't Rare... So Why Don't We Talk About It?

I'm writing this post because I know that Bell did a campaign last year talking about mental illness and depression... Then it seemed that as soon as the month was over, 

WHOOSH! MENTAL ILLNESS DISAPPEARED! 

Well, at least that's what it felt like to read most online sites. No one seems to want to talk about it anymore... Because it isn't "sexy". 

I'm hoping to shed light on what mental illness, or rather what I'd like to call mental wellness looks like in the everyday life.

Its when you know you have that "crazy" aunt or uncle that everyone says is "touched"... But you know that person as the fun aunt or uncle who speaks his/her mind and always brings joy to the house.

Its when all of a sudden, your sister or cousin goes through that bout of depression, and couldn't get up out of bed for three months on end, and had to take sick leave. And this was all "blamed" on a break-up or some other major traumatic event in one's life.

Or, in my example, it was me, not realizing that I was going through a "spell" (aka a crazy depressed period), until I looked back on my life at that time. I realized that none of the pictures I took showed me smiling, I'd aged by at least 20 years in only 1 year, and gained enough weight to make me resemble what I can only imagine would be myself in an alternate universe! 

Because I grew up in a family where mental illness was quite common, I knew that I had to really make sure my lifestyle allowed for me to always have my wits about me, and have a heightened level of awareness. 

Might you be lacking mental wellness? Keep in mind that it can be something as simple as depression or seasonal affective disorder. If you have read this and want to get well, here are a few simple things you can do : 

• DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE - Please reach out to someone you love and trust, who you can be real, open and honest with, and ask them to help you through what you're going through. I know if I had done so, it wouldn't have taken me so long to come back to life.

• Eat Healthy - Sometimes that sluggish feeling, or not feeling so well about ourselves is actually caused by chemical and neurological imbalances! All those toxins floating around in our body keeps our mental faculties from working properly. Eating balanced, healthy meals (you can always sign up to my free program to find great resources!) helps keep you positive, mentally well and stable, and doing whats best for you and those around you

• Find an expert and ask questions - Whether its someone trusted in your network that has helped other recover, or whether you get a referral from someone like me, never be afraid to ask questions. Fear of asking questions keeps people sick and suffering, and in pain. Folks like us who are all about helping people heal will always do our very best to make sure you get the help you need. 

I'm hoping that the more of my own personal stories about these "tough" subjects, the more others come out and speak about it. I have no more shame about this in my life. There also is no more lingering pain. I've forgiven myself for "falling into despair". Now this is my chance to help others, so that they know they are definitely not alone. 

What else can I give so I can help you heal from your pain? I'm all ears :).

Always the Nice Girl?

As I'm recovering from my cold, and reflecting on my life in general, I realize that there's one theme that keeps replaying over and over:

Why am I always labelled as the good "little" girl?

And boy, have I really hammed it up and played into that role. I've over-committed, bitten of WAY more than I can chew, and done soooooo many things that I've had no desire to do in the first place.

Can you relate?

 If you can't, then maybe you're a corpse somewhere playing to be alive... lol... totally teasing :). 

But on a real note, this reflection has allowed me to come up with some really great things that I'm now committing to use, practice and most importantly , doing my best to master right now and in the future. I cannot go back and change the past, so I'm starting from right here:

I commit to:

• Saying NO more often - especially for those things in life that my gut is telling me to say no to... I'm going to STOP doing things I'm supposed to, and having fear of disappointing people. PERIOD.


• STOP overbooking myself - as much as I love to be busy, having 4 weeks with no break is too much for my own body to withstand. AND, I can't be at my best when I'm tired.


• Be honest about my friendships - this was a hard one for me to come to terms with... For people who I support wholeheartedly, I actually LOVE being a part of their lives and events. For people who I cannot relate to - their lifestyle, their values, their character - I really and truly have no interest in being around. It's not to be mean, it's a hardcore fact. Therefore, I am going to CHOOSE to be FULLY  THERE for those for whom I share a reciprocal relationship with - I help them, and they help me to grow as a person.


• Cutting myself some slack when I fail - yes, we all do it. We are each our own worst critic. We cannot change the past, and we CHOOSE what baggage we carry around... I CHOOSE NO BAGGAGE. I will love and accept myself when I fail, and re-commit to being successful, and cleaning up the messes that I make.  

No one, including me, said that this work of living a light and freedom-filled life was easy. However, I do promise you that it becomes a fun, fulfilling and wonderful journey... I'm tingling with the freedom that comes from writing this post and getting this all out of my system!

Who's with me? :)