We have interviewed 55 people who have overcome struggles with the help of social support from others. These stories show that friends, family and colleagues are vital to overcoming struggles of mental health.
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I’ve interviewed 55 people who have been helped by support of others, and here are the top 5 struggles that these people have overcome:
In our many years of publishing helpful mental health content, we always received questions from our readers about specific situations. While we have a lot of helpful tips to share on how to be happier, we simply can’t offer advice for every situation.
That’s why I’ve set out to interview folks with every type of mental health struggle. My job as an interviewer is to categorize these interviews and present them in a way that is most helpful to our readers.
“When you’re going through a difficult time, it can be difficult to remain hopeful. However, please know that recovery is possible, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. You’ve got this!”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
OCD
Panic attacks
PTSD
Helped by:
Self-Care
Self-improvement
Therapy
“In the past, I didn’t understand my behavior or intense mood swings, but now I understand much of it is rooted in past trauma. Nearly everything in regard to close personal relationships can trigger or set me off. I often describe it as living life with no skin. Everything hurts and my brain interprets every single interaction as a threat or rejection.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Borderline Personality Disorder
Depression
Grief
“In my first job in mining, I saved my company millions. I thought I was on the fast track to success and happiness, but it all came crashing down. I had a toxic boss and it led me to turn in on myself. Day by day, my manager ground me down. He made me question my choices at work, then my purpose, then whether my life itself had any meaning…”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Suicidal
“Leaving my home country and studying abroad presented its own set of challenges. I experienced months of intense loneliness, barely leaving my student hall. I slept during the day, avoiding people for weeks. I felt emotionally numb, happy for others’ successes but powerless in my own life.”
Struggled with:
Childhood
Depression
Grief
Loneliness
Helped by:
Reinventing yourself
Self-improvement
“I couldn’t perform simple tasks like cleaning the bathroom or planning the weekly menu. Thinking of what to cook for the next meal was overwhelming. Little things like the water pump conking out, the dogs missing a feeding, or my household helper going on her weekend off seemed like the end of the world. I had to stop driving because I would have a panic attack at the most unexpected moments.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
Panic attacks
Helped by:
Medication
Self-improvement
Treatment
“I lost three family members in a short period of time and I felt like I was going to lose everyone (my father and grandfather also have serious illnesses) before I could go back to Japan to visit them. I couldn’t stop crying when I thought about what I had lost, so I just kept busy, working, and going out with my husband and his family.”
Struggled with:
Grief
Helped by:
Self-improvement
“I constantly grappled with self-worth and struggled to find my place in a society that seemed indifferent to my pain. Even though I tried to mask my struggles, those closest to me sensed something was wrong. The stress and emotional toll were palpable, leaving scars that took years to heal.”
Helped by:
Self-improvement
“At my worst, I would hurt myself so I had an escape and a release. There are points where I feel so out of control in my body that even breathing is a task. I hold my breath. In truth, I have night terrors about what my funeral would be like, who would show up? Would I be missed? Would people come out of the woodwork when I was gone? If I left this body here would I hurt less? I battle every single day with loss. Your mind begins to play tricks on you.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Cerebral palsy
Childhood
Depression
Suicidal
“I realized the feeling of never being seen, never having someone at school ask or mention how not okay I was, and the sheer invisibility I felt had to be addressed. I went back for more EMDR and was able to resolve that pretty quickly as well. Because that was a more complex and subtle trauma, it took a few months longer, but definitely less than a year.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Panic attacks
PTSD
Helped by:
Therapy
“When I got home, I was burnt out and severely depressed. I couldn’t get out of bed for a long time. My fiance took me for walks, helped me bathe, and brought me bland foods. With the help of my psychiatrist and therapist, I was able to get on a course of therapy and medication that finally helped to bring me out of my major depressive episode. I wasn’t truly fully functional again until some time in 2011.”
Struggled with:
Anxiety
Childhood
Depression
PTSD
Helped by:
Medication
Therapy