Mental Health is As Important As Physical Health

In many households, mental health is treated differently than physical health. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When I was young, I battled with depression. When I tried to give my pain voice, my pain was meant with prayer. Now, I have faith and believe in the power of prayer and intention. And yet as they prayed, I wondered if God would be the only one called upon if my body was ill. Would they attempt to pray cancer away. Could a well placed “Jesus” and “amen” cure a broken arm; or would a broken body require both God and medical attention in a way that a broken mind and spirit clearly did not.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Depending on where, how, and with whom you grew up – mental health may not have been seen as a priority. Your mental health concerns may have been met with criticism, sarcasm, jokes, motivational talks, or prayer. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I understand now, as an adult and parent, that they were doing the best that they could. I know now the feeling of powerlessness when trying to mend your child’s broken heart while yours is also broken wide open; of trying to show up strong in the midst of your weakness and fragility. They were doing the best that they could given the tools that they had at the time. And as they knelt next to me and prayed for divine intervention, as they left my room never to revisit my pain or that prayer again, and as we each retreated back into ourselves to continue to battle our demons on our own – then their tools felt painfully insufficient.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If this message is for you, then remember that your mental health matters as much as your physical health. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

For more from Craft Your Path Founder Jacqueline Misla, be sure to follow her on Instagram at @JacquelineMIsla.