Seeking support and communicating our needs is a significant part of taking care of our mental health. Numerous contents across social media, university programs, campus resources, and workshops can help to make us aware of all the signs and symptoms to our mental well-being.
The problems I faced when I didn’t reach out.
In my culture, mental health problems are not identified and discussed as the critical part of an individual’s well-being. So, due to lack of exposure I was ignorant about the concept of mental well-being, but I realized its significance when my mental state was very disturbed in my teenage years due to procrastination, overthinking and family problems. I ignored the problem, and I started experiencing the negative effects in my personal growth:
- I assumed the physiological symptoms like headache, dizziness and low energy as just disease and never connected to mental illness.
- I tried adapting to the condition of being stressed without seeking support.
- Though I understood the way of tackling mental health issues over the years, I felt embarrassed to share my problems with others, thinking that sharing my problems will make me face criticism on my condition.
- So, I created my own ideology to tackle the issue instead of seeking support from professionals.
- My mental state started having adverse effects on my academics, health, and my social life.
Reaching out was a game changer in my mental well-being journey.
The turning point in my life was when I met my personality development teachers, who helped individuals to navigate mental health needs, and communicated all my problems. After having numerous sessions, I started experiencing the following changes:
- I am not the only person who is facing mental health challenges.
- I understood that happiness is not constant, and I must learn to deal with the ups and downs of life.
- I stopped hesitating to ask for help with any issues I was facing.
- I started to identify the things that might cause stress and took action to avoid it.
- I surrounded myself with the people who encourage me rather than the people who criticize me during my low time.
Sharing is caring
My mental well-being journey has taught me how conservations can change the life of people who are battling alone with their mental health. So, now I am determined to share my knowledge and experience with my loved ones and surrounding people. I also focus on helping others to connect with the resources available on-campus and off-campus, to which they can reach out to seek support.
Let’s share the knowledge and experiences of mental health to reduce the stigma and show our care for each other and the UWM community.
Bhavana Tumakuru Mahesh
She/Her
Peer Health Education Program Assistant