One of the biggest challenges we are facing in our society today is the state of our mental health. The rise of mental health challenges has been growing at an alarming rate for some time now. Sadly, our society does not prepare us how to handle the challenges we face with our mental health. With a society that is always pushing people to live in fear and insecurity, what can we do to make sure we stay strong with our mental health?
If you have noticed I used the term mental health challenge. I don’t believe in the using the terms disability or disorder. You’re probably asking yourself why? It is because when someone accepts the fact that they have a disability or disorder, they become a victim to the idea that it will always be a part of their life. Dejectedly, this is an untrue belief for many who struggle with any form of mental health challenges. So then why do I use the term challenge instead of disorder or disability? It is because our mental health is due to our experiences and circumstances in our life. They present a certain “challenge” for us to understand, work through and resolve allowing us to regain our mental health.
The truth is that the medical industry, along with big pharma, doesn’t want you to realize that you can overcome your struggle in mental health. In 2018 35 of the top pharmaceutical companies earned a revenue of 11.5 trillion dollars with a gross profit of $8.6 trillion. That’s right, you heard the word trillion! That is an insane amount of money to make in a year. People must understand that as long as they believe they are sick and cannot do anything about it, you become a piggy bank to the Big Pharma; And the medical and pharm industry know this.
What the pharmaceutical and psychology industry doesn’t want you to know is that we can overcome any of our mental health challenges. How do I know this? Because I did. I was raised in an abusive childhood. I was also bullied and beat up my entire life. This created me to have and be diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Bipolar 2, Chronic Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, and a few others. Having to struggle with everything I did my entire life, there were many times I tried to give up. I couldn’t make friends or relationships, hold down a job and I didn’t belong anywhere. Most people don’t know that I tried to commit suicide 3 times in my life. I, like many, once believed that I was helpless to my “Disorders”.
I decided enough was enough and I no longer accept that this was going to be my life. I decided to give up everything I knew, leave Chicago, and find myself. So I traveled all over the United States, living in many states, until, one day, I was sitting in a forest when I had a realization. It dawned on me that I had the power the change anything in my life that I wanted. Since that day, I’ve been an unstoppable force.
So how do we defeat our mental health challenges? Well, that’s a process that is a bit different for everyone. But in my years of helping those who suffer with mental health challenges, I have realized this. I really wanted to change. I didn’t want my story to be Miss Raina the girl who suffers with mental health. I really wanted to find me, be happy, and be someone who challenges the worlds status quo. In doing so I knew that I had to face the ghosts of my past. To do that, it was going to be tough and painful, but I knew that once I made it through, I would have the life I wanted. And you know what, I do!
To understand this, we must realize that our mental health is a skewed perception of how we view ourselves and the world around us due to our past experiences. If you’re anything like how I used to be, never fitting into any groups and struggling day to day with mental health, then we accept that it is because people have made us feel like this. The fact is you are not less than, you are not rejected or don’t belong. You are more than you realize, and you can be everything you dream to be. The only difference between those that suffer and those that don’t is realizing that you truly deserve it.
Our experiences are meant to challenge us. To help us figure out who we are and teach us that we are stronger than we believe. Our society, unfortunately, teaches us to live in fear, insecurity, and be a slave to the machine. Always remember that if we truly want something, we will put in the effort. If we don’t, then we will see ourselves as the victim and make excuses. If I can beat some of the most challenges mental health disorders there are, I know you can overcome whatever is in your life! Just remember not to listen to what society tells you, listen to your heart and find the strength inside you to overcome any challenges you may face. The questions is, how much do you truly want it?