Mental Health Awareness Month

If I am to be honest — brutally honest — I hate all these days, weeks, and months dedicated to a cause. Why? Because there are too many and, often, well-meaning causes get lost amongst the clutter. (Did you know yesterday was “Oatmeal Cookie Day,” and it is also “Barbecue Month,” “Burger Month,” and “Lyme Disease Awareness Month?” Do you see what I am getting at here?) Needless-to-say I feel “Mental Health Awareness Month” deserves mentioning, and if you are a frequent reader of my blog you already know why.

I’ve spoken before about my own struggles with depression, postpartum depression, and anxiety.  (Just yesterday Scary Mommy published an article I wrote on PPD which garnered thousands of views and hundreds of supportive comments within a few hours.)  I’ve disclosed my history with self-harm and have even mentioned — albeit in passing — my suicidal thoughts and failed attempts. I feel strongly that we need to #StopTheStigma associated with mental illnesses, and that was a huge catalyst for starting this blog. But the only way we can truly remove the stigma is by normalizing the disease. But how? How do we explain mental illness to those unaffected? By speaking about it; by asking for help, and asking others if they need help; and by telling our stories, ugly and inglorious as they may be.  The only way we can move forward is to speak up.

So with that in mind, this month Sunshine Spoils Milk will return to its roots and tell stories about mental illness. There will still be some mommyhood moments sprinkled throughout, and maybe even another #whyIrun update or two, but I hope to use this time to bring attention to a much needed cause. I plan to share more stories of my own struggles with mental illness — past and present — and I plan to finally tell my suicide story.

Thank you all for your continued support. It is you who make Sunshine Spoils Milk what it is today.