Let's Talk

   Today in Canada it is Let's Talk Day. For the last month there has been commercials on TV by Bell promoting talking about mental health. Today, February 12 Bell will donate 5 cents to a mental health programs for each text mesh sent or LD call made. Mental Health has been something that you don't talk about in the past, when in fact you should. So today opened the door to talk about my mental health. In the past few years I have suffered panic attacks, anxiety attacks and have over stressed syndrome.

    For a long time I thought I was a lone and going out of my mind. Between the ages of 0-2 years of Lilly's life I literally thought I was going out of my mind. Everything was so new, so critical that some days it was hard to breath. None of my friends where going through the same stages of child development as mine. I would go weeks with out seeing people because Lilly was so sick. At that time there was no balance.
   Than I cracked...
   It was Christmas time, Lilly had been really sick that year and the pressure of christmas demands was too much. I slipped into depression. I recognized the signs, and quite truthfully my body, mind and soul where just plain tired. For three years I have been working on healing myself and I hit a road block. With my husbands support I went on an antidepressant.
   I prayed to God about this...
   The amazing thing is the first meds that I was put on worked. I had no side affects and with in a month I started to notice a change in my moods, thoughts and anxiety. The thing is I did more than just take the meds I started to make changes in my life to help my mental health long after I stopped taking the meds.
   That spring I meet some friends who are in a similar boat as me...raising children with cerebral palsy. It was an amazing 16 weeks of getting to know each other. Each of our children have their own hills to climb but are extra sweet!
   I also meet a mom locally who I connected with. Our children each have their own needs but we are able to vent, and talk. It's neat to be able to do a quick check in when ever we run into each other at the local Starbucks.
  A verse that sticks out to me about my journey with mental health is Psalm 94: 17-19

Unless the Lord had given me help,

I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death

When I said, "My food is slipping,"

your love, O Lord supported me.

When anxiety was great with in me,

you consolation brought joy to my soul.

     This is a little bit of my story with mental health. There are many different layers. So for the next few Tuesdays I will be posting on my journey. I  hope this will encourage you to talk about your mental health.

Have a great day!

Candice