Women play many roles in the society. At work, we are employees, bosses, colleagues, friends. At home, we are caregivers, daughters, mothers, sisters.
Performing to expectations can get overwhelming at times. So we cannot emphasise this enough: please seek help if you need to, because mental health is so important. It is a very normal and healthy thing to do, and is not a reflection of your capabilities. Just hear it from these celebs who have opened up about their struggles and how they deal with it.
“I just try to acknowledge that the scrutiny is stressful, and that anyone would find it stressful. So I’ve got to try to let it go, try to be myself, and focus on important things.” – The New York Times interview
“Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
“Being emotionally honest can save your life. Reaching out may be hard but as soon as I did it, I was immediately covered in love.”
“I have bipolar disorder. I’ve never talked about that in an interview before. I never brought it up. A lot of people I work with probably don’t know it. I think this is a good time to talk about it. It’s just like, I was diagnosed when I was 16 or 17. My mom has it too… I’m entitled to my emotions and, unfortunately, because of the circumstance that I deal with, it’s a little more than other people.” – Elle interview
“I learned that my sadness never destroyed what was great about me. You just have to go back to that greatness, find that one little light that’s left. I’m lucky I found a glimmer stored away.” – Harper’s Bazaar interview
“It’s cool to have a healthy mind and healthy emotions.” – Justin’s Instagram story
“Mental health is so important. People don’t pay enough mind to it because we have things to do. We have schedules, we have jobs, kids, places to be, pressure to fit in, Instagram Stories, whatever facade you’re trying to put on, trying to keep up. People don’t pay attention to what’s happening inside.” – Beats 1
“You are the one thing in this world, above all other things, that you must never give up on. When I was in middle school, I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression and the help and support I received from my family and a therapist saved my life. Asking for help is the first step. You are more precious to this world than you’ll ever know.” – Instagram
“I wish more people would talk about therapy. We girls, we’re taught to be almost too resilient, to be strong and sexy and cool and laid-back, the girl who’s down. We also need to feel allowed to fall apart.” – Vogue
“Being vulnerable is actually a strength and not a weakness – that’s why mental health is such an important thing to talk about. It’s the same as being physically sick. And when you keep all those things inside, when you bottle them up, it makes you ill.” – This Morning
“We would never tell someone with a broken leg that they should stop wallowing and get it together. We don’t consider taking medication for an ear infection something to be ashamed of. We shouldn’t treat mental health conditions any differently.” – Huffington Post
If you have concerns about your mental health and need help with finding the right resource that is within your budget, try CHAT – the Community Health Assessment Team by the Institute of Mental Health. It’s available to those between 16 – 30 years old.
This article was first published in Cleo.