Mental Health Resources

Mental health issues have followed me throughout much of my life.

I've struggled with depression more times than I care to count. As a teenager, I dealt with anxiety and panic attacks. Like many people, I've had periods where life felt overwhelming, uncertain, or heavier than it should have been.

Those experiences have influenced my writing in ways both obvious and subtle. Many of the poems and reflections in my book touch on grief, hardship, self-discovery, healing, and perseverance because those are subjects I understand firsthand.

*While I am not a therapist, counselor, or mental health professional, I am someone who has walked through difficult seasons and come out the other side. Along the way, I learned a few things that I wish someone had told me sooner.

#1: It is okay to not be okay.

Life can be difficult. Sometimes we carry burdens that are invisible to everyone around us. Struggling does not make you weak. Having a bad day, a bad week, or even a difficult chapter in your life does not make you a failure.

It makes you human.

#2: It is not a weakness to ask for help.

Many of us are taught to handle everything on our own. We convince ourselves that asking for support somehow means we have failed.

In reality, reaching out often takes far more courage than suffering in silence.

Whether that support comes from a friend, family member, therapist, support group, or crisis counselor, there is strength in recognizing when you need assistance.

#3: You do not have to go it alone.

This is perhaps the most important lesson I have learned.

There are people who care. There are people who listen. There are professionals whose entire purpose is to help others navigate difficult moments.

I know this because I have used some of these resources myself.

Years ago, I reached out to the Crisis Text Line during an especially difficult period. The counselor helped me slow down, talk through what I was experiencing, and reframe some of the thoughts that were overwhelming me. We discussed breathing and mindfulness exercises, and by the end of the conversation, I felt calmer, more grounded, and better equipped to move forward.

Now, to be clear, the situation was not magically solved.

But I was no longer carrying it alone.

If you are struggling, or if someone you know is struggling, here are a few resources that may help:

Crisis Resources

988 Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for free and confidential support. Available to anyone experiencing emotional distress, mental health challenges, substance use concerns, or thoughts of self-harm.

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor via text message. Available 24/7 throughout the United States.

Veterans Crisis Line

Veterans, service members, and their loved ones can call 988 and press 1 or text 838255 for specialized support. Available 24/7.

The Trevor Project

Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ young people through phone, text, and online chat. Available 24/7.

Final Thoughts

If you take only one thing away from this post, let it be this:

You matter.

No matter how isolated you feel. No matter how dark things seem. No matter what mistakes you have made or what burdens you are carrying.

You deserve support.

You deserve compassion.

And you deserve the opportunity to keep going.

There is no shame in asking for help. Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is reach out and let someone walk beside us for a while.