Well I’m back! It’s been several months, but I’m excited to be writing here again. I’ve taken breaks from time to time in the seven years since I started this blog; They are often unexpected and unscheduled, and I try to feel things out to determine the best time to return. In this case, I knew I would need to take a few months off from writing. At the same time, he hoped to do it again in 2024, but it turned out that this was not the case. And I’m learning that that’s not only okay, but expected if I want to continue with this project for as long as I can.
When I started My Brain’s Not Broken, I wanted to document my journey living with anxiety and depression. I was getting better at controlling my symptoms, but there were still many things I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand the number of ways anxiety and depression impacted me. I didn’t understand how big the stigma was surrounding mental health, a stigma that I’ve learned a lot about over the years. And I had no idea what a journey writing would take me.
One of the main reasons I take breaks from writing is that I don’t think I have much to say right now. As time goes by, I feel even more strongly that this is the case. This time, however, it was a little different. My life has been very busy since August and I have had a hard time finding ideas and topics that I thought were worth sharing. While things have calmed down since then, I was still struggling to come up with post ideas. But the other day I remembered something that, time and time again, has strengthened me both in the area of mental health and as a human being.
Coming up with blog ideas hasn’t always been easy. I often feel like I’m making things up as I go along. But there have also been times when I have been able to write several posts at the same time; There have been moments when the words come pouring out of me, when I am more than happy to share my perspective with whoever visits this little corner of the Internet. And while I would prefer the latter to the former, both are part of my experience as a writer, mental health advocate, and person.
So, as I’ve been doing for the past seven years, I’m going to write what I know. I’m going to write about my experience and I’m going to write from my own unique perspective. We all have our own stories to tell; Over time, those stories may change and change, but they are still ours. I have learned a lot about myself and my mental health from writing this blog. But, as I have written time and time again, this is a lifelong journey that I am proud to participate in.
But it’s not just my journey that I write about. According to the World Health Organization, One in eight people worldwide lives with a mental health disorder.a figure that increases by millions every year. Despite all the awareness that has been raised and all the progress we have seen, mental health is still a major issue for everyone. We are all affected in some way by mental health issues and the more we ignore them, the worse things will get.
So now I don’t write just for myself. I write to raise awareness; I write to bring hope and joy to people who may feel lost and alone. I write because mental health affects everyone and has the power to affect every aspect of our lives. The better we understand it, the better we will understand ourselves and others. Together we are stronger, we are better together and we are on this journey together. I’m glad to be back and I hope you can join me on the journey.
