Mental health..

A close friend of mine once told me that she wishes I have a daughter, and bring her up as strong and as brave as me. A relative of mine once exclaimed that I am brave and determined, another said she wants her daughter to be like me- I finished my student loan, got married as I wished, had a kid when I wished- basically had my life sorted. Close friends of mine say that I am extremely strong and can fight any odds. While all these are overwhelming to hear from your close circle of friends and relatives, does it mean I had it all or was it so easy as it sounds?

This past week, my social media handle was filled with the importance of 'mental health' it being a mental health awareness week. There is awareness now because people are ready to open up and trust me when I say it takes oodles of courage and strength to actually talk about what one has gone through. While my life and me as a person seemed so sorted for many, it was never an easy journey for me.

I have had my share of trauma..incidents from my childhood right through my adolescence which has shattered me. What I did was putting up a brave face while beneath those layers of smile and determination I was actually lying to myself. There have been so many instances of me asking why did this happen to me or even blaming others for not teaching me how to defend myself during those traumatic childhood years.  

I kept asking these questions to myself over and over again and I knew I wasn't going anywhere.

It's very important to 'make peace with your past' for your own self. It was not until I decided this and finally did open up, I found mental peace. It wasn't an easy thing to do at all. Opening up even to your closest friend always seems a challenge since there is this fear of being judged! But what we don't really realise is we are only burdening ourselves mentally trying to put up a brave face while we actually aren't. 

I finally realized the importance of speaking up and  not always shut your thoughts thinking it only happened once. There is absolutely nothing wrong in sharing things with a friend or your partner knowing well it is in confidence. And yes, there is nothing wrong in reaching to a professional when needed. It's high time we treat mental health as equal as physical health especially now when the world around us is changing.

Me myself :)