Read on TwitterIt is really easy to discount signs of mental illness when the world around you is stressful.
My first couple years teaching, I told myself teaching was hard & everyone was struggling. It was/is true that teaching is difficult & most new teachers struggle. It was not true that everyone else was considering just driving into a tree on their way to work. I needed help.
Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic, the social/political tension around us, and our shared anxiety about the future is hard on everyone. Yes, no one is operating as their best self right now.
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If you’re wondering whether it’s even worth staying alive to see what happens, if you’re struggling to perform basic care like eating enough food during the day, & if every day you wake up wishing you could just remain asleep, you may need help.
It does not make you weak. It does not mean you’re overreacting. It is not you making something that’s affecting everyone about yourself. Life is hard right now but it’s damn near impossible if you have mental health issues going untreated.
If you don’t know where to go for help and/or are lacking insurance at the moment, reach out to people around you anyway. They can you search for free therapy options. There are organizations and online spaces that will find you resources & share the strategies for coping.
Folks can perform community care to help meet basic needs. Food trains, prayer/meditation groups, and making art together are things we can do without a doctor. We can put on our masks and gloves and fold laundry for each other. Together, we can figure something, anything out.
But what your brain is telling you right now- That it’s not worth reaching out, that no one cares, & that you have to go through this alone is a lie. No one knows what the future holds, but you deserve to give yourself the best shot at surviving and hopefully thriving through it.
You deserve care.
It’s okay to seek it out.
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It’s okay to seek it out.
