An Author Goodbye -- A Reflection of My Mental Health Journey

For seven years, I was privileged to contribute to the Getting Through Tough Times blog on HealthyPlace, but now this author is saying goodbye. This mental health community has been my home. It was a safe place to share my journey through difficult times. I am very sad to be leaving. But before I do, I would like to share this post expressing what HealthyPlace has meant to me.

An Author Saying Goodbye Finds Hope Amid Dark Times

Before I started blogging for HealthyPlace, I was lost. Working overnights in an abusive work environment caused my mental health to plummet. I went to work, cried, slept, ate lunch, slept some more, cried, and repeated the routine for months. At times, the physical and emotional stress led me to have suicidal ideations.

In the fall of 2016, a college friend knew I was struggling. Knowing I wanted to do something with my college degree, he told me HealthyPlace was looking for bloggers. I was grateful to find a place where my voice would be heard. But I was also terrified of revealing my greatest vulnerabilities to the public. What if potential employers would read my posts and stigmatize me? What if people would think less of me for sharing my issues with anxiety and depression?

After writing for HealthyPlace for a few weeks, I realized that everyone will have an opinion about something. It is not my job to get people to like me. As a mental health advocate, my mission is to show people that they do not need to be ashamed of having a mental health condition.

The Getting Through Tough Times blog was not just a place for me to talk about my struggles; it was a place to share the coping skills that helped me navigate life through anxiety and depression. I enjoyed writing about the power of affirmations, meditation, support systems, and creativity. Through the writing process, I reminded myself that life gets better even during the most challenging times. Little moments of happiness make the difficulties worth it. I hope my writing also helped others struggling to find the light.

Expanding the Journey as This Author Says Goodbye

I am terrible with goodbyes. It's hard to leave something that was such a big part of my life for so long. Now that I have said what I needed to say here, I feel like it's time to take my writing elsewhere. It's time to focus more of my energy on finding new paths.

No matter where I go from here, HealthyPlace will forever hold a place in my heart. I will continue to read the blogs by other writers so that they may help me continue on my journey.

Thank you very much for reading my content. Please take care of yourselves. Practice self-love and compassion. Reach out for help when you need to. Remember that you are stronger than you realize. Also, you are never truly alone. You are loved.