Your Healing is Valid (Luci)

It always hurts when strangers put me down for my mental health struggles.

They don’t know me! They don’t know what I’ve been through or what I deal with on a daily basis. Yet, it still hurts. 

But you know what’s worse?

What hurts even more than strangers putting me down for my mental health struggles is people who have gone through similar mental health struggles putting me down for how I choose to handle my mental health or how I heal.

And I am sick and tired of it.

Even though other people have gone through similar situations, no one will ever have the exact same journey as you. Everyone’s experience is different, everyone is a unique person, so everyone’s method of handling their mental health issues will be different. That’s the point!

So how can anyone sit there, straight faced, and tell others that they’re wrong for needing medicine or therapy or healing in the way that they do, all because “oh, well I never needed any of that stuff, and I’m doing perfectly fine!” Good for you, buddy! 

I’m here to tell you that your method of finding yourself, knowing yourself, and healing yourself are valid.

Valid

If you take meds for your mental health that your doctor prescribed for you, you are valid.

If you cut people out of your life for the sake of your mental health, you are valid.

If you see a therapist, you are valid.

If you opt for online therapy instead, you are valid. 

If you reach out to people you trust for help, you are valid.

If you reach out to strangers on the internet for help, you are valid.

If you’re not ready to open up to someone yet, you are valid.

If you are in a situation right now where you cannot get the help that you need, you are still valid!

If your journey of healing hasn’t been linear, you are valid.

If you are in a slump right now, you are valid.

If your mental health has been good recently, you are valid.

If all you’ve managed to do today was live, you are valid.

If you got all you wanted to do today, you are valid.

If you didn’t have a good support system growing up, you are valid.

If you still don’t have a good support system, you are valid.

If you heal through art, you are valid.

If you heal through sports, you are valid.

If you heal by going on with everyday life, you are valid.

If you lash out sometimes, but apologize and make up for your actions afterwards, you are valid.

If you shut down sometimes, you are valid.

If you need to pull away sometimes, you are valid.

If sometimes all you want to do is break down crying because it’s all too much, you are valid.

If you need to take a mental health day, you are valid.

If you need to cancel plans sometimes because of your mental health, you are valid.

If you struggle with both mental illness and societal injustices from being a minority, you are valid.

If you struggle with multiple mental illnesses, you are valid.

If you choose to tell others about your mental health struggles, you are valid.

If you choose not to tell others about your mental health struggles, you are valid.

If your journey of mental illness and healing is different from others, you are valid.

No matter how you deal with your mental illness or how you heal, you are valid!

I’m glad you’re still here with us. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

If you are being impacted by mental health and need a place to turn, Letters Against Depression is a nonprofit organization that sends free letters of hope and support to those who sign up. Wherever you are on your journey, we have dedicated volunteers who have been there and can empathize. We see you, because we are you.

You can sign up to write or receive a letter at Lettersagainst.org and connect with an incredible community who unflinchingly supports the fact that you are valid.