Leisa Field

Mental Health doesn’t discriminate

This challenge is really important to me. 

In July I walked 580,000 steps for my own wellbeing, so when this challenge presented itself I felt like what better way to get the support of friends and family and see what kind of steps in kilometres that I can get in to support such an amazing cause that really hits home for me personally. 

Something about this really hits to the core so I wanted to do something for both myself, my family and friends that I know is going to support others and shed some light on the challenges that not only individuals face but family’s face with mental health. 

Mental health doesn’t discriminate. It takes even the best of us down whether it’s through financial hardships, losing our way, grief, losing a loved one, watching someone that you love struggle from physical ailments  or even health concerns. Even as far as what physical injuries do to the brain/body and the mental challenges that come with that.

For me this is really personal. Suppression causes depression so let’s bridge the gap!

 I had a family member that sustained a trauma where they were  sexually abused as a child and as a result of that they suppressed that their whole life which resulted in other addictions to cope and then getting cancer and passing.

So  mental health is not just about having a bad day. It’s about how we deal with everyday life challenges and move through them and having the ability to have friends and family that can support you, & give you a blank canvas and space for you to be able to talk about anything that you are going through WITHOUT judgement so we can remove the shame of what we go through or how we feel.

That means those people in your corner celebrating with you when you’re at your highest highs and your Lowest lows.. Never suppress what you’re going through cause if you do you are setting yourself up for the body keeping score & other sicknesses to unravel.I know this cause I’ve experienced it.

The bottom line is, the reality is people actually really don’t know when someone else is struggling. There’s a thing called masking and some people are really really good at it and I was one of those people however, I think having people just do general check-ins and always keeping that space open for you to be your full self without being judged is key to really moving through it. There is not one singular solution that works for everyone.

Sometimes you do need to feel the pain so that you can come up with strategies to navigate through, so you can come out the other side. 

It’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay that way. 

That’s  why this challenge is super important to me  to show that any obstacle can be supported by your village.

“The only way out, is through”~