Mental Health Space - MHS

Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
– Robert Schuller

What are the most common misconceptions about depression?

In South Sudan....

What do you currently see as the biggest challenge within rural mental health? What do you believe is the solution?

Know yourself and be yourself

BE YOUR BROTHER & SISTER'S KEEPER

"Mental health remains a heavily neglected, unacknowledged issue in South Sudan despite affecting all facets of society Mental health (psychiatric) disorders include conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These disorders have been associated with substance abuse and violence."

Transforming Lives

My trauma response + long time coping mechanisms is to fawn, people please, + fully neglect my own needs in the process.
I saw this come up as this community grew on social media + I began the same pattern of fawning. Of allowing myself + what I was actually saying to be misinterpreted for someone’s own benefit. Slowly, I began to lose my voice + that pull to get “back in line” with another persons narrative of who I was.
But this had little to do with social media— it was just revealing patterns. That existed my whole life. With ex-girlfriends. With friends. With family. I allowed behavior that was toxic (of course I too engaged in toxic behaviors) + I took love in the form of breadcrumbs.
Rarely did I ever stand in my power of choice.
Rarely did I ever say: this isn’t mine to carry.
For a long time I prided myself on being compassionate. I understand on a deep level how trauma manifests. I made excuses. I allowed my reality to be invalidated. I dissociated (left my body) through drinking, drugs, anything where I could escape the present moment. Then I sulked. Felt waves of shame + resentment. Allowing myself to be a projection for another, I lost myself over + over again.
Compassion without boundaries becomes codependency. It becomes enabling. It leads to patterns of self abandonment.
We can understand another. We can see their pain manifesting externally + stand in our sovereign body. We can *choose* what we allow, how we allow it, + how we respond.
We can have awareness of the “why” while also having a clear line around what’s mine + what’s yours.

That’s healing