Mommy's Mental Health: 10th Chapter - A Milestone celebration

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I remember - when I started hiving six months ago - being incredibly nervous about every post I put out, almost like stepping out onto the stage and being in the spotlight.

It would sometimes take me weeks to complete a post, obsessed with proofreading and getting absolutely everything just perfect. While those things are still important to me, and much like when I am preparing to perform live, I try to not let them stop me from being authentic or sharing what is raw and real.

At at the end of the day - being a real, flawed, human has been what has made my mommy's mental health posts so relatable and they've helped me to connect to so many different people, from all walks of life, who have had extremely similar experiences, even if on the surface, we seem so different.

Connection and authenticity have been key here, and many of my stories have been hard to tell.

I've been worried about backlash and oversharing and pissing certain people off, but the support here and with my friends and family at home (who I have healthy relationships with) has been overwhelmingly positive. I'm grateful for every one of you who has laughed and cried with me on this cathartic journey of self-discovery.

I am going to be actively posting in the Hive account@med-hive community and tagging them in my mental health posts (thank you guys for inviting me to contribute) and as such, I will be sure to put a disclaimer in every post. I am not a qualified mental health practitioner. If you feel you might be suffering from anxiety or depression, or are exhibiting any symptoms of mental health issues, please reach out to your school counsellor, your community health practitioner, your psychologist, or even your GP. These people are trained to assist you and guide you.

I certainly aspire to be a psychologist one day. It's right up there with wanting to be a real musician, and while I am successfully reaching my dreams, on the one hand, I feel like I now have the power to reach for this one too. Since I was as young as 9 when my parents divorced, have felt it to be almost a calling, if you will, to complete a degree in child psychology - specialising in adolescents - because I believe that my experiences, ethics, commitment and empathy would make me a valuable counselor. I wish that I can one day help troubled teens through much of what I went through, but that is a goal for the future, and one I will need to explore through online learning (please feel free to drop me links and suggestions in the comments - whether it's recommended reading or links to reputable online colleges). Who knows: maybe by the time I am 50, you all will be able to call me Dr Mobey! A girl can certainly dream.

For now, I hope to continue to share my stories and my journey of mental health, the ups and the downs, exploring everything from body dysmorphia to suicidal ideation to surviving abuse to sharing my inappropriate dark humour. I want to open the conversation and lift the stigma and misinformation surrounding mental health issues.

I would once again love to thank every single person who has read, upvoted, reblogged, curated and commented on these incredibly personal posts. Your connection and engagement has helped me heal in so many ways. I hope that my stories shine light into those dark places and we can navigate this scary and thrilling rollercoaster of life together.

Thank You <3

For those of you who have missed out on previous chapters, here they are:

Mommy’s Mental Health - Chapter 1: New Year, New Me, New Boundaries