I’ve been thinking long and hard about whether or not I should delete this website, in fear of future employers seeing this and believing that I am unstable or incapable of a job. As senior year nears an end, my fear of being unemployed grows. And it keeps growing. This used to be my safe space — and it still is. I won’t let my fear stop me from writing about my mental health and my growth. Until I read a blog post my friend, Madison Griswold, wrote, I thought I would have to shut down my site forever. Because of people like Maddie, people who are unafraid to voice their deepest and darkest secrets, I realize that I too, am doing the same thing. I hope that this blog helps you feel less alone. Because there are people out there, just like you and me, suffering from the same silence. I will not delete my blog. I will not delete my words. I will not delete myself. Thank you, Maddie, for reminding me that my voice matters. I hope one day I can inspire someone to speak out about their mental health and share their experience that we all hide.
Maddie, I am so proud of you and I am so proud to be your friend.
Keep reading to see what Maddie wrote. Here is a link to her original post.
We have all been taught, either implicitly or explicitly, that our mental health is a private matter. I would argue that no, it cannot be. It has been for too long. You should share whatever you are comfortable with to the degree you are comfortable with, but this culture of secrecy is part of what has caused so many to suffer and silence and some to even take their own lives. This is a public health issue. We must bring mental health out of the shadows. That starts with each and every one of us.
A lot of good progress has been made in the public eye, with celebrities and other influential figures speaking out about their own struggles and many more resources coming to the forefront. But there is still so much to do behind the scenes. Besides the abysmal state of publicly funded mental health care, it is still taboo in many circles to openly discuss depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, anorexia and bulimia among other disorders. The only way to break the cycle is to be brave enough to share your own story and hopefully empower others to do the same. This is what I hope to do.
— Madison Griswold
liquid guilt 