1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness. Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. The second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10-34 is suicide.
Those statistics are startling, yet it seems as though our society struggles to face this reality. What is contributing to these gut-wrenching numbers?
Part of it is stigma, and somewhere along the line we decided mental health was a taboo topic. As a social worker, I am no stranger to mental health issues and moreover, I see the detrimental effects of staying silent. As an individual with myasthenia gravis, I also have had my fair share of struggles, and as we know, stress and extreme emotion can trigger our physical symptoms significantly.
World Mental Health Day is coming up, and this year’s campaign is all about making mental health care for all a reality. In order to make that a reality though, I want to empower people to start talking about mental health, specifically those who also have myasthenia gravis.
For many people with myasthenia, trusting people can be a difficult task because many of us have been questioned about the legitimacy of our disease. At the same time, hiding our feelings is not the solution. If you feel as though you are having a hard time finding someone who truly understands, I encourage you to attend a support group for myasthenia gravis. Being able to talk about shared experiences, particularly with a rare disease can be incredibly therapeutic.
Ask yourself, what brings you joy? Seems like a silly question, I know. When I was at my lowest of lows, I can remember sitting with my therapist trying to come up with things that brought me joy, but I struggled to do so because I felt my myasthenia got in the way of everything. When I suggest asking yourself this, I don’t necessarily mean identifying hobbies. Dig a little deeper: does checking something off your to-do list make you happy? Perhaps making someone else happy brings you joy. For example; I love giving gifts. I love the process of brainstorming what other people like, hunting for their favorite things, wrapping the gift in pretty paper, and picking out the perfect card. I have found ways to make this as easy as possible without taxing myself physically. Take the time to reflect on what truly brings you joy.
Nourish your mind, body, and spirit. I can’t emphasize this enough. We live in a world where being on the go and participating in everything is the right way to live. Trying to keep up with others is simply not healthy for someone with MG; it just makes things worse. I have a hard time saying no to people, but as I grow older, I see how damaging this can be to my health. We already have limited energy as it is, so make the most of that time when you have it. Life is too short to waste on things that don’t promote peace.
If you are struggling, know that you are not alone. Let’s make mental health care a reality.
The following blog post was written by Meridith O'Connor, St. Louis Program Coordinator of the Myasthenia Gravis Association. #MyastheniaGravisAssociation#MGADigest#myastheniagravis
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