You aren’t alone 🫶🏼

I am so lucky to be here and I don’t discount that. BUT Social media (and frankly most everything else) has a tendency to be very tailored. I do this often, whether on socials or just being out and about. There’s something in our culture that says that being less than okay is wrong and it needs to be kept behind closed. That’s been changing over the last few years, and I want to be a part of that.

I have been diagnosed since undergrad, and it’s been an uphill battle ever since. While finally having a diagnosis was reaffirming in a way, it also felt like now I have this label/burden/shame attached to me that I can’t ignore. But that’s not the case at all.

I have tools (meds and coping mechanisms) to help me be the best version of myself. Some days are better than others, and some days I just want to exist quietly in the same space as others. Both are okay. And I’m much more aware of my mental health as a result, so I can recognize the moment I start slipping and take some space to put my feet back on the ground and keep going.

I cope best with writing and art, even if it’s coloring books and word-vomit. These activities help me take a moment to reflect and shut out the world around me for just a second.

I also let myself cry. I don’t always want to, especially if I’m on campus with people, but I don’t let any possible embarrassment stop me. It’s good for the soul to let it out.

Med school (and really just school in general) is stressful enough as it is, and it’s an easy stressor to exacerbate both anxiety and depression. Being mindful is so so important and even when the walls are closing in, it’s vital to take a step back for you if you need to.

Sometimes schoolwork takes longer, and I have to go slower or the pit in my stomach tries to swallow me whole. While this means I have to work harder than my peers, I still do the work just like everyone else. It just looks different some days because getting out of bed can be hard sometimes.

It feels hard for me to talk about because this could jeopardize (theoretically) my position as a future physician and cause others to view me as “less than,” but I can’t change their perspective so much as reshape my own. And that’s what I’m here to do.

I am not broken or unstable or unable to take care of people because I have anxiety or depression. And I’m not the only med student with this pair of diagnoses (add ADHD but that’s unimportant for right now).

Just know you aren’t alone, no matter what you’re pursuing. I’m proud of you, and if you need to talk I am here 🫶🏼

#MentalHealth #mentalhealthjourney #safespace #lemon8challenge #embracevulnerability #unfiltered #lemon8college #depression #anxiety #letschat