Final Words About the Your Story Blog Project

It’s over!

21 individual stories, 23 soon to be 24 separate blog posts about the Your Story Blog Project – now what?!?

First

Thank You!

Thank you to all of the brave individuals who shared their story with me, so I could share it. I know this experience was emotional and vulnerable, and I couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank you for bravely fighting the illnesses that affect your mental health and all of the unique challenges that go along with it. Even though we may fight a mental health battle with the same labeled name, our battles are each vastly unique and different and 100% tailored to each of us as individuals. We may be fighting the same fight, but the battle ground we fight on is very different. So thank you once again for being so brave to get help, search for answers, and continue to live.

To those who shared experiences caring for or losing a loved one to suicide, thank you so much for keeping their story alive. Thank you for honoring them by using their story to help someone else. Thank you for never giving up on them. And thank you for loving them unconditionally.

I know it’s hard! Healing takes time. Grief lasts a lifetime and is like riding an elevator. Some days you’re doing awesome riding all the way to the top floor, and other days it’s overwhelming and you descend down to the basement. You are not alone in your grief, and with time, it will get easier to manage.

Thank you, thank you, thank you once again for participating in this project with me!

Second

What did I learn from gathering stories for this blog experience?

Most notable to me was knowing that each of the stories presented to me were shared by women.

Where are all the men?!

Men are affected by mental health challenges and suicidal thoughts just the same as women. But, men have been trained to hide their feelings. I strongly believe that this is a major part of the reason that men are much more successful in their suicide attempts than women. But this shouldn’t be the case!

In a world fighting for gender equality, shouldn’t we be encouraging our men to be EQUAL to the women standing next to them and inviting these men to share their emotions and feelings openly and in healthy ways – free from judgement and discrimination?!?!

Third

What did I learn from each of the stories that were shared throughout this project?

1. Be Kind.
2. You Are Not Alone.
3. Love Everyone (including yourself) Unconditionally.
4. Mental Health likes to buddy up – whether with physical health or another aspect of mental health: where there is 1, there will usually be 2+.
5. Healing Takes Time.
6. Mental Health does not discriminate for anything or anyone.
7. Treatment will look different for every person.
8. Your Story Matters.
9. Don’t Give Up.
10. Admitting that you have a Mental Health challenge is not a sign of weakness.

There were many, many, many things I learned. Each and every story and each and every individual had so many inspiring messages to remember, but I chose to only share only a few of the highlights here. So, if you learned something else worthy of remembrance, please share it in the comments below.

Fourth

Now that May – Mental Health Awareness Month – is over, what’s going to happen to the Your Story Blog Project?

This is not the end. I am passionate about mental and emotional health concerns and disabilities. I believe your story needs to be heard. You and others like you need to know that you are not alone, so I will be continuing this project.

The surveys/questionnaires found in the Introduction post will remain open and active, and I will check them weekly for any new submissions. If I get them regularly, I will share them in something like a #MentalHealthMonday post or something similar. If not, I will save any I get and recruit more to share next Mental Health Awareness Month as a continuation to this years project.

Fifth

What about My Story?

Parts of my story can be found by clicking here. In doing so, you will be taken to every blog post I’ve written that shares a part of my personal story. You may also read more by clicking on the following images found on the Uplyft Wellness Instagram page.

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Final Thoughts

This project has been an incredibly inspiring experience because I was able to combine my love for writing with my passion for mental health to share your stories. If you have enjoyed this blog series, please let me know. I write for 2 reasons. I write for myself to express my thoughts and emotions, and I write for you. I hope that what I write is inspiring and makes a difference in the life of someone else. So…

If you have any ideas for a new blog series, let me know.

Finally, I am once again so grateful to each individual who shared their story with me. I am thankful that God gave me the inspiration for this project and that I had the drive to complete it. I am grateful to each individual who read or shared these stories with someone they love, and I hope we will all strive to do our best to have conversations about mental health on a regular basis.

All my love,