Let’s Talk About Mental Health
“Emotional pain is not something that should be hidden away and never spoken about. There is truth in your pain, there is growth in your pain, but only if it’s first brought out into the open.”
Steven Aitchison
If you ever broken a bone or come down with a serious cold or flu, you know the steps you need to take to feel better. Get to a doctor, let them diagnose you, and then follow their treatment plan to get you healed and operating at 100% again. But what about when what’s hurting or hindering you doesn’t have a physical symptom? What if you just feel off? What if it’s a private pain that you’re terrified of bringing out into the open because then it’s real?
At 4word, we want to help Christian women in the workplace grow and become the versions of themselves that God intended for them to be, but we also want that to include ALL of those versions. Which is why, for the first time, we are joining thousands of other organizations in recognizing and taking part in Mental Health Awareness Month. For the month of May, we will be featuring content from licensed psychologists and Christian women who want nothing more than to see their fellow 4word family experience healing and peace in their mental health journey.
Mental health and mental illness are shrouded in stigma and stifled by shame. And yet, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year. (source) For a battle that tends to make people feel isolated, there is a lot of other people we could potentially be finding support from and community with.
Admitting you are dealing with a mental health issue is scary because it is, truly, something that is in your head. While some mental illnesses manifest physical symptoms, the overall journey you go through with mental illness is internal, which can make it difficult for those around you to sympathize and support. Which is why so many of us decide to push down our inner battle and try to find a way to just make it through each day.
“…do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Our prayer is that this month’s discussion about mental health results in stigmas being stripped away, hearts being mended, and minds being strengthened. You don’t have to struggle and you don’t have to do this journey alone. God gave you life and He has promised to never leave your side. If you feel like you are dealing with a mental illness, or if you are in a supportive role to someone who is, we hope to provide you with the knowledge, hope, and determination to face your situation head-on and move into the perfect plan that God has for your life.
If you are dealing with a mental health crisis and need help, please don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance. The Mental Health America website has many resources to help you begin to find peace.
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