Think of something that recently made you upset. Where do you feel it in your body? Many of us have stopped living inside of our bodies because we are afraid of feeling. Instead, we live in our minds where negativity and distortion dominate.

Your body will say what your mouth won’t say. I recently told a friend that I hid my struggle with anxiety for years because I knew people would label me and judge me.  She exclaimed, “you don’t seem like someone who would get anxious.” I took the opportunity to educate about mental health, and the impact traumatic stress can have on the mind and body. I suffered from symptoms of anxiety in silence to protect myself from judgment. My body rebelled and started to tell my unspoken stories in the form of stomach ulcers, heart palpitations, and fatigue.  I liberated myself by making a conscious effort to unlearn the crap I was taught about emotions and prioritize my mental health. Just in case you are wondering, there are Pastors, Psychiatrists, Lawyers, Nurses, Therapists, and Judges suffer from anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone at any time can experience traumatic stress and develop an anxiety disorder. No one is immune.

Brainwashed!

We are victims of societal conditioning; we were taught as kids that emotions are ‘good and bad,’ and encouraged to suppress, fear, and avoid the bad ones.  The thing is, most of us were never taught how to manage traumatic-stress, or that it is the underlying cause of many mental disorders. Furthermore, most of us were never told that familial dysfunction leaves an imprint on our psyche.  We were also never taught that suppressing our emotions would send our body into rebellion and manifest itself in the form of autoimmune diseases, aches, high blood pressure, stomach issues, and agitation.

The Pretenders

People are walking around feeling depressed, anxious, suicidal, lonely, inadequate, and unworthy, and they are pretending.  What’s most disheartening is that because of ignorance, and fear of judgement, some of these people are terrified to seek help. Don’t get me wrong, I get it, it’s easier to pretend than face the stigma that comes with admitting that you need mental health treatment. It’s especially challenging when family members or friends view mental illness as a demonic trait, weak spiritual connection, God, or a sign of weakness. Please understand that your mental health is your responsibility!

Lessons

1.    There is a chemical component to every emotion

2.    Your body stores your emotional pain

3.    What you avoid and suppress will persist and may develop into a severe mental disorder

4.    Your mental health is your responsibility 

5.    There are numerous forms of therapies that don’t require you to reveal your trauma

6.    You have over 70, 0000 thoughts per day and need to practice good mental hygiene

7.    If you don’t take care of your mental health, your body will rebel

Is your body rebelling? Get Help!