Grace's Story
Grace has suffered from depression and anxiety and has sometimes felt lost and alone. She has lost friends and argued with her family. From her experience, she says you do not want to communicate how you’re really feeling because of what you think others will say. There is a stigma in your head that you shouldn’t feel this way and that people will tell you that you are ‘just sad’ and ‘you will get over it’.
Grace has struggled with her mental health so much that she ended up overdosing in September 2019. Thankfully, she is now recovering and has taken steps to improve her mental health.
What has helped Grace manage and improve her mental health?
Since taking an overdose, Grace has realised life offers more than she realised. Grace took her anxiety journey to a counsellor and said this helped to truly understand the core reasons for the ways she was feeling. This resulted in her gaining a stronger relationship with her parents.
When Grace went to see a counsellor, it was a big step for her to take. It helped her realise the main causes of the way she was feeling, and even though this can be hard to come to terms with, it was just what she needed to get herself to tackle each little reason individually. With anxiety, often a few things can be a cause of something which is then being portrayed to everyone else differently. If someone can help you find those main causes, then over time, you can try to face them little by little.
Lockdown has also helped Grace. For many, lockdown from the coronavirus has been a stressful and anxious time. It has given people time to overthink and heighten issues in their lives. For Grace, it has given her the time to sit and think about life in the way she has needed. It has allowed her to take time to herself and get herself in a good place. In normal life, she found it hard to find time to be on her own without feeling guilty about missing out on something for someone else.
As much as Grace has moved forward from her lowest point, her anxiety still prevents her from taking on great opportunities such as performing, which is her passion in life. Just because you have improved from a low stage in your life, this does not necessarily mean you have reached where you want to be yet. If people are telling you ‘You aren’t that bad anymore’ or ‘You’re not that sad or low anymore’, this does not mean you cannot ever be sad anymore. You have to listen to your body and feelings and let it be how it needs to be.
Grace wants to get through to people that when you are feeling at your lowest it is okay to be like this and although you may feel alone and like you need to just be by yourself to deal with it, you should reach out and communicate.
