We Are Not Alone

Today is World Mental Health Day.  Today, as hopefully with every day, we are to be mindful of our own mental health.  It is also a good time to check in on the mental health of those we care for.  As one of the 25,000 therapists who work for Betterhelp.com I am extremely aware of the fragility of the human condition and the fact that we all share in our anxieties, frustrations, discouragements, and frets over perceived shortcomings.  We all feel sad from time to time.  We all have the occasional sleepless nights.  We all ask ourselves the “what if’s” of life.  One thing that remains truly evident is that we are all in this together.

While we all share these common woes that manifest as mental health challenges, we all feel just as equally alienated and alone by our struggles.  The things that connect us, our doubts and our fears, make us feel like we are the only one on the planet experiencing these cognitive deficits.  We all feel alone in our suffering.  Today is the day, friends.  Today we can make the effort to bridge the gap between our own isolation and the isolation of our loved ones.  We can reach out and connect.  We are stronger together.  There is strength in our shared experience.  We all need it.

We all need compassion, understanding, and grace.  We need to allow it for ourselves and we need to hold it in kind for our fellow humans.  Only when we try to see through another’s eyes or walk a mile in their shoes can we truly possess the heart of a loving neighbor and the mind that will rise above these challenges.  Only when we do it together can we create a world where people don’t have to hide their feelings for fear of ridicule.  Only when we feel free to be human will the human race win.  Check on yourself today.  Check on your friends.  Wish a stranger glad tidings, and above all else, be well.