Please Mind Your Voice!

Welcome to Mind Your Voice- where real people talk about real mental health issues. I began this site as a tool for everyone to connect on a deeper, more emotional level. Why? I find it so strange and unacceptable that in the twenty-first century, people receive "physical illness" as normal yet "mental illness" as unnatural. We are not comfortable discussing our minds. We are ashamed and embarrassed by mental struggles like depression, anxiety, and disease! I thought about how much unnecessary suffering we go through because of a simple misunderstanding- mental illness is common. In fact, it is far more common to become mentally ill than physically ill (and we all get our fair share of physical illnesses!). The mind is far more sensitive than the body, and believe it or not, everything is connected. It's why you feel especially low when you are physically sick or injured. Lying around and being unwell causes mental distress. Likewise, mental distress causes physical symptoms of distress. But we don't talk about that. When someone asks you how you are feeling, do you ever really say, "Terribly"? Most of us expect a simple, "Fine," or "Okay." We never open up, yet it is absolutely amazing when we do. You will realize how similar humans are, and most importantly, how normal you are. As for those "crazy" or "terrible" thoughts and feelings you have? We all have them. The depression, self-deprecating thoughts and emotions, the anxiety ("for no reason"), and so forth...all of them are normal.

As someone with a chronic mental illness (OCD), I decided to create a space where we can all open up and be honest with each other. I want to begin to tear down the stigmas attached to mental illnesses and struggles. I want to show that everyone-whether through an external experience, a genetic predisposition, or both- suffers mentally. Let's voice our minds. Let's talk about them. Let's be ourselves. Let's be well.

Love,
Kayla