There is No Freedom in Shame

It seems there is so much shame in anxiety, depression, and mental health in general. While it appears particularly prevalent amongst men, it's extremely common amongst women also. And it shouldn't be — for either.

Nobody should feel shame for struggling with their mental health. It's common. More common than a broken leg. Anxiety thrives when we try to suppress and hide it. All shame does is enrage it.

It seems we are terrified of reaching out and asking for help. But we're human. We need help. Many who have never experienced debilitating anxiety or depression get help in all aspects of their life, and they reap huge rewards as a result. They are celebrated for it. And many attribute their success and wins because of it.

If you break a leg, you go to the doctor to get it fixed. The cast, in many ways, represents a badge of honour. But this stigma shit with mental health is a disaster. It has to stop. We're not talking about some novel injury that’s guaranteed to heal. This is far more serious. And I don't mean "THE STIGMA" has to stop, so let's band together and create a movement to stop it. While that's extremely noble, you'll be waiting a long time for that to happen, and Prince Harry is already on the case. The only thing that interests me is what you have control over, so the only stigma I am referring to is your own stigma and the control you allow it to relinquish over your life.

The thought of trying to figure out an anxiety disorder on your own is nuts to me. It will literally strip years from your life. You've got to forgive yourself for feeling shame. You've got to forgive yourself for whatever may have happened in the past. And then work on letting it go.

Stop trying to hide it from those whose judgment you fear the most or those closest to you. It will ruin your life. On the plus side, when you allow yourself to drop the act, you'll likely find they won't judge you. And if they do? Exactly. Fuck 'em!

Don't let your ego stand in the way of you doing what it takes to free yourself of these damn illnesses. There's no shame in what you are experiencing. And even if there was, who cares? It's way better than the alternative. There's a reason pride is one of the deadly sins.

Again, what you're experiencing is extremely common. We all struggle on occasion—some worse than others due to unfortunate circumstances. All you really have control over is how you respond to it. And if you continue to respond with shame, it will continue to trap you and eat you alive.

Over and out.