Mental illness and trauma; two very taboo topics that shouldn’t be so taboo. So, so many people in the United States, in the world, experience these things in one way or another. If they haven’t or aren’t presently dealing with them, in the future they might. Dark times come on without warning sometimes. Sometimes you don’t feel it creeping up; sometimes it’s sudden. It’s when you want to express how you feel, talk about the trauma, the symptoms of your mental illness or just your sadness, your anger; that’s when you might be met with resistance. It’s understandable that not every single person wants to hear the bad stuff, but it’s also not good to push those feelings way down and not tell anybody. It’s also understandable to be afraid of what’s happening or afraid to talk. Therapy, unfortunately, is still stigmatized and it’s not affordable or accessible for too many people for a multitude of reasons. The mental health system in the USA has come a long way, but we’re worlds behind where we should be. I know in many countries, it’s the same way. Mental health and wellness is just not a priority. And that’s bullshit.
So, why am I here?
Well, full disclosure, I’ve never written a blog post in my life, but I am a writer of sorts. Usually I stick to poetry, sometimes a short story, novella, or a novel. It’s one of my favorite forms of expression. On top of that, I’ve been through a lot for a 22 year old. Maybe not as much as others, but trauma and mental illness aren’t competitions. Yes, others have it worse, but that does not invalidate my own experiences.
Now that all of that is out of the way, I’ll explain the purpose of this little ol’ blog of mine. At the core of it all: I want to help myself while also helping others. Writing is my outlet and I’ve been through some shit but I also know that I’m not alone. Other people have experienced abuse, other people have experienced trauma, mental illness, rape, sexual assault…I’m not the only one who has been there. I felt alone for so long and still do from time to time, so I know other people feel the EXACT same way. I’m here to relate to, to share my self care and coping techniques, to educate, comfort. I want to be able to share my story and my experiences, yes, but I also want to share yours. Give you a safe space to pour your heart out, whether it be just to me or on a post of your own (I plan to do a little something called “our stories” at some point). I want to have hard conversations, break that taboo. If my posts reach even one person who relates and finds this helpful, then I’ve achieved my goal.
Now to share some fun facts about me; we can dive into the deeper stuff later…
- I’m a 26 year old mom from upstate New York
- I hate pickles and olives
- Puffins are my favorite bird and cats are my favorite animal
- I love ALL things art (painting, sculpting, drawing, writing, music, flow, etc.)
I’m NOT a therapist, nor am I a psychologist or a psychiatrist. I’m just a girl who’s experienced mental illness and trauma firsthand who wants to get her story out there. As I mentioned, I have never so much as written a blog post, so this is very new for me! If something is or isn’t working, let me know. I’m here to make this a positive experience for all of us.
I plan to post at least weekly. Let’s heal together.
Made to Bloom 