Mental illness can seem an isolating place to be in when all you are seeing is through a fog created by your own disorder. It’s hard to reach out to others, and it’s even harder to ask professional help, but sometimes, even the smallest of communities can make your path to recovery a whole lot easier.
Let me tell you about mine.
Two years ago I opened a Tee Public store dedicated to my favorite TV shows, especially the sci-fi series Supernatural. To be honest, the main idea was to promote my services as a graphic designer; not to mention the chance to be an, openly, 25-year-old fangirl on the Internet. I also made an Instagram account in order to build my audience.
Who would've thought it was going to become a whole lot more than that, huh?
My designs soon began gaining attention in the fandom, a pretty big deal considering we're talking about a show which has been on the air for the last 13 years and has been able to grow an audience so loyal it's even called a family; the SPN Family.
By now, you must be asking what's so special about that, well, here's the thing; with each post I shared, I added an inspirational caption to it.
As simple as that.
I'd write something, or share someone else's quote, with the primary purpose to uplift anyone who took the time to read it. Unconsciously, I realized I was not only making a change in each of my followers' lives but also making a difference in the way I fought my own battle against mental illness.
As I began to heal wounds myself, I understood the undeniable importance of a sustainable support network in which we could all be kind to one another, talk about our problems and reach out when we were feeling like giving up.
Strangers, who eventually turned into friends and allies in the battlefield, who understood and empathized with my struggles. Fighting stopped feeling so overwhelming and started feeling like a goal.
To my surprise, my inbox was soon filled with a ton of messages thanking me for making them feel better, for being there for them when no one else would listen. I never would've thought someone was going to read them, to be completely honest but when I realized the impact I was making on my little audience, I knew I had to do something about it.
I began to offer my help in any way I could, functioning very much like a friend they couldn't fully trust or a sister they didn't have.
Fast-forward to the present and more than 16.000 people are currently a part of my small, probably insignificant to most, contribution to the world. But please, don't be mistaken, it's not about the number of followers, it's about the quality of these people and how the message is slowly spreading.
The point of this post is, you have absolutely no idea of the power words can have. You might be here on Steemit right now and have no idea that your last week's post distracted someone just enough to get them out of a panic attack. Or maybe you wrote one hell of a positive post and one of your readers felt so empowered by you, they slowly began to recover from their depressive episode.
I know it's hard to be there for people, especially when we are all caught up with our own lives, but take the time to ask your friends how they are doing, reach out to your family and just tell them you are there for them.
And if you want to walk the extra mile, reach out to strangers. Tell them you are available if they need someone, reassure them they are not alone; that whatever it is that they are going through, it will pass once more.
"Be the change you want to see in the world" said Gandhi once and, you know what?
He was damn right about it. The change starts with us, let's start now.
Image Source: I
If we change ourselves than only world will change. Your words are powerful.
img credz: pixabay.com
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