‪This is a video of a speech I made 7 years ago. I must admit, though I’ve shared it many times, I haven’t been able to watch it for years because it’s very emotional for me.‬





I just sat down and watched it and what I said still holds true. I speak out about my struggles because the stigma surrounding mental illness needs to end. And I need to talk about something.





My anxiety has been pretty bad lately. The last couple of years have caught up to me. So many bad things happened. I lost my dad, I lost a close friend to cancer, between my husband’s family and my own we lost three cousins, we lost two very special pets, my husband had surgery and a hospital stay, my mother in law had a serious surgery, I’ve been dealing with chronic physical illnesses, my niece was diagnosed with lupus, and more. It felt like something bad was always happening. For two years straight. And I don’t think I really processed it all properly. I just pushed through and tried to stay strong.





I’ve realized that I’ve been living in a constant state of “what horrible thing is going to happen next?” And that I’m in a constant state of tension. And that’s not normal or ok.





So, I’m doing I preach to others. I’m getting help. I’ve been to the doctor for new medication and will be starting counseling soon. I’ve been dragging my feet on doing this because I don’t want to talk about and rehash all of the bad things that have happened. But this is my health. It’s my mental well-being and if it were any other health issue, I wouldn’t hesitate to get treatment for it. So I’m done dragging my feet. I’m done living in a constant state of anxiety. And I’m going to take care of it now.





I know a lot of people reading this may also be struggling with similar things. And I know that it can feel like a hassle to get help for it. That you feel like you should just push through it. But this is your mental health. This is your life. And you don’t have to live in that constant state of anxiety (or depression, whatever the case may be). There is help. It takes giving yourself a kick in the butt sometimes, I know it did for me, to go get that help. But it is worth it. Because I know this will get better for me.





I am ok. I am safe. I am not struggling with depression at all, thank God. But I’m done being anxious and constantly waiting for the next bad thing. So I’m gonna go fix this health problem and get on with my life. Because that’s what it is. A health problem like any other that deserves treatment. Now it’s time to kick this anxiety to the curb. It’ll take time and work, but I’ve been though much worse, mental health wise, and I know this will get better.





If you’re dealing with mental health issues, I really encourage you to get help. You don’t have to push through everything on your own. Reach out.

#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth