Fear, false evidence appearing real, just one of the many bits of jargon I picked up during my years of mental health work. There is a reason for our fears; somewhere down the line we were hurt in a similar situation and don’t want to feel that pain again.

When we try to stop feeling the pain (especially for mental health related maladies), when we start bringing it to the forefront, then we are told we are bringing down a vibe or called brave for sharing. Brave, it’s brave to take care of our mental health? Yes, because the individuals saying that know how a person can be ostracized for not being perfect, for showing a feeling, especially if it is one that makes them appear weak.

I am tired of people dying from fear. I know we all have our own experiences. I also know, that we know some of the same people who have died by suicide, overdose, single car crashes, alcohol related illness, and other lifestyle related ends. I have watched countless men in my orbit suffer in the silence of there homes while there wives put on brave faces and pretend their lives aren’t being ripped apart by the stress of coping with mental illness.

We have to do something to change what is happening or not. We can continue acting like it’s normal for 30 and 40 year old men to go off the rails and turn blind eyes to the over drinking, over working, and stigma surrounding mental health as more in our community die.

Taking care of ourselves should not be brave. People need to quit living in a Lala land, thinking sucking it up and pretend life is good all the time is going to end the generational trauma.

Stop treating mental illness as something to fear. There are lots of us walking around everyday with invisible wounds, trying to maneuver in a world that doesn’t always create space for processing disorders.

We don’t need to all walk around treating others with kid gloves. Maybe, actually, if we spend some time tidying our own backyards and attic spaces of our minds; there would be less time for judging the neighbors. Also, healing ourselves heals the collective.

Stop judging, start healing, could that be the slogan of the movement I want?