Now I know what you’re thinking, “being more open will only get me hurt more”. Sadly, you’re not wrong, the world that we live in today shames people for seeking help when it comes to mental health. I myself, hide behind pseudonyms and profile names. I do this so that I can be open, yet still protect myself from the inevitable bias that comes with being a mental health advocate. Plus I really like the name, Alan Wolfgang, I think it’s cool…

Anyways, believe me when I say, being more open about mental health could very well save your life. I mean, if you struggle in silence like I did for so many years, you will eventually implode. It’s usually very ugly, and can disrupt your entire life. It took me a while to become comfortable talking about my own mental health, to my family, my doctors, my therapists, etc. Eventually, I became able to talk about it on a global scale, because in my mind, mental illness is an ignored epidemic. Now I’m not telling you to start a blog or a podcast or anything like that, unless you are comfortable doing so. You also have to be prepared for the evil that still hides on the World Wide Web. I like to believe in the goodness of people, but time and time again, I am reminded that there are awful people in this world. Quite a lot of them as a matter of fact, and they are brutal and scary people with access to a keyboard and the internet.

The key to remember here is that you’re not opening up for anybody but yourself. Now I know that other people can be incredibly hurtful, but who the heck cares?! This is for you! You need to be open with yourself, and hopefully a therapist, in order for your mental health to improve. Otherwise, it’s like that video of that kid who dropped a mentos in a coke bottle and it erupted. No matter how much you try to repress it, it will eventually explode in your face. So let’s smash the stigma, and just be okay with not being okay!

From my mind to yours, Alan Wolfgang, signing off