CELEBRITIES SPEAK OUT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

While the Corona Virus is dominating the news, what’s also been dominating the news is the importance of good mental health, especially in such trying times. Many people don’t know where to turn when they need help with their mental health, and actually, the net can be a good place to start, even if it’s just to try and seek reassurance and figure out where to take the first step.

Here are some news stories about maintaining your mental health that we’ve seen in the age of Corona Virus.

Emma Stone Says Write

Writing and journaling can be very therapeutic. Even if it’s only for yourself, writing out your feelings can be very helpful and make you feel better. And Emma Stone, who has been very vocal about her mental health struggles, recommends that right now, you should write as much as possible. 

Oscar-winner Stone reached out through social media during Mental Health Awareness Month, and she writes, “Many of us are dealing with isolation, anxiety, and uncertainty during this COVID-19 crisis, and this included the 17 million kids and teens in America – that’s one in five, who have a mental health disorder. Something I really like to do when I’m struggling with anxiety is a brain dump. What I do is just write down anything that I’m worried about. I just write and write and write, and I don’t think about it, and I don’t read it back. I find it’s really, really helpful for me to get it all out on paper.”

She also sent a message to everyone out there: “I hope you’re staying safe, you’re staying strong and healthy, and I’m sending you lots of love.” 

A Sports Star Speaks Out

Also speaking out about mental health for Mental Health Awareness Month is Brian Mauer, a Tennessee quarterback, who spoke out through Instagram about his mental health issues.

Mental health has been a big concern in professional sports these days, and Mauer is hoping his openness will inspire others to get help as well. 

“Since the 7th grade, I have struggled with anxiety and depression; this battle has been long and hard [and] it has been an everyday battle.”

It got so bad that Mauer was planning to take his life. “I thought I lost my battle with depression and that my pain had come to an end [and] as I was going to do it, I looked up and said, “God if this isn’t your plan for me, please send me a sign.’”

In junior high, one of Mauer’s best friends took his life, “and I had never felt so low in my entire life [that] one of the strongest people I have ever known lost his battle.”

As his depression got worse in high school, “I knew I was in trouble, but I still refused help from anyone…I slipped even deeper into a black hole, and I turned to everything else but seeking help.”

Like a lot of pro athletes, Maurer felt he had to keep up a tough façade. “I was embarrassed to be like this. I always thought that as a guy, I had to have tough skin and not let anything bother me.”

Maurer decided against taking his life when he heard from his mother. “I then knew that by ending my pain, I would be causing so much more to the people that loved me.” Maurer ended his post by saying, “Please reach out to receive help. Mental health is a very serious matter, and there is hope for you. I, along with everyone around you, stand with you. You have the strength to deal with this. Please keep fighting; you’ve got this.”