We Must Talk More About Specific Mental Health Symptoms

Had lunch w an awfully nice guy today who’s been struggling. Since sharing my own story, I now hear from so many ppl like him, each day, who feel lost & don’t know where to turn. Beyond sad.
 
There are many common themes that have arisen the more I’ve had a chance to read stories shared here, & listen to stories one-on-one. But…the trend I’m picking up on the most is – sooo many ppl believe that what they FEEL in their head is sooo diff than what anyone else feels or has felt. And why is this?
 
More & more ppl w platforms have shared that they are battling MH complications. Some of them have even shared some symptoms. But you look at what is openly talked abt on these platforms as well as what you see on most MH-focused sites, & unfortunately it’s all the same: Bullet points of vanilla descriptions that don’t even begin to touch on either the pain – or weirdness one feels when symptoms of disorder start to arise.
 
We all know the lists that are copied & pasted – tiredness, agitation, loss of appetite, sleeping too much/little. The ones that go into greater detail may even use terms like: annhedonia, disassociation, depersonalization, etc.
 
But it hit me when this nice guy said to me today – “Eric, I feel like the whole world is happening w/o me!” I replied by telling him I could relate – that at my worst, I felt like I was at an airport, & everyone else in the world was walking on those flat escalators, & not only could I not keep up by running on the side, but I wasn’t even able to move my feet. He looked at me & excitedly asked – “You know that feeling?” He no longer felt alone.
 
This is one of abt 487 of these visual descriptions in my head from my own battle. I’m no MH mind reader, but for better or worse, feelings come to me in pictures & they are etched in my mind for what feels like eternity. It’s time we as a society started to share not just disorder names…not just “symptoms”…but what those symptoms actually FEEL like. Amidst other posts (ure also welcome to submit), we will start a #SameHere Symptoms feature. Help us show each other no one is alone in their feelings.