Therapist Explains What’s Behind “I’m Okay”

 

Mental health problems should not put you in a state where you only proceed in life because you think you have to. Life is a gift, and your condition shouldn’t have to be the cause of your unhappiness, anxiety, and other emotional problems. Unfortunately, no matter what other people say and despite how much they positively try to create an impact, there is still a part of you that wants to keep everything inside the box. Thus, there’s the “I’m okay” phrase that you know you’re used to. But what exactly is behind that?

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Struggle That Silently Kills Confidence, Self-Worth, And Emotional Resilience

There is entirely nothing wrong with telling everyone that you are okay. Of course, when you are emotionally and mentally healthy, you are confidently okay inside and out. And despite dealing with uncertainties in life, you know you can handle it better because you understand balance and overall stability. However, the moment you tell yourself that you’re okay when you know you are not creating a different level of approach in handling challenges. It connotes a negative progression of lies, denial, and untruthfulness towards yourself.

Telling yourself “I’m okay” but still feeling empty and lonely inside destroys your ability to see your worth. It kills your confidence and makes you lose track of emotional resilience. Telling yourself, you’re okay even if you know you are hurting inside hinders you from understanding yourself better. It blocks you from overall development and makes you stop finding yourself’s true purpose. It traps you in a space where you won’t be able to help yourself recovery from whatever it is that you’re emotionally and mentally going through.

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Fear, Worry, And Avoidance Of Becoming Someone Else’s Burden 

Experts of therapy for teens agree that it’s entirely understandable that you think about your struggles as yours alone. As much as possible, you want to deal with your condition to prove that you are strong enough to deal with complicated things independently. Apparently, when you say “I’m okay” because you intend not to let anyone get involved with what you are dealing with, soon enough, you’ll get drown in self-pity. The more you think about the possibility of you burdening people will create an intense feeling of judgment towards those who truly want to help.

Your fear and worries of harming others are unreasonable. Just because you do not want them to carry the burden of your mental and emotional problem, it does not mean that you should lie about what you truly feel. Of course, you will try your best to get better, and you’ll push harder to suck it all up so that you won’t feel the need to ask others for help. However, consequences can arise. Not only do you deprive yourself of emotional intelligence, but you also take away other people’s opportunities to learn about your condition.

Mental And Emotional Suffocation That Grow Overtime

“I’m okay” goes with the truth of “not being entirely okay.” For some reason, you get accustomed to saying those words to convince yourself that you got no real problems to deal with. But in reality, the waves of loneliness are pulling you back to the isolated surface where there’s no hope and full of sadness. You may lie about the whole thing, but soon enough, you will find yourself complaining and hating life and everything in between. Constantly telling yourself that you’re okay even if you’re not can be pitiful. And instead of the action helping you make your way through your dilemma, you only wallow away feeling sorry for yourself.

Self-talking and saying “I’m okay” despite not getting a hold of the mental and emotional weight is comparable to beating yourself up while currently weak and bending on the floor. It’s not healthy, not acceptable, and not entirely going to create a difference. It would only make you fall into the idea that your emotions are not valid.

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Takeaway

Admit that there are things you can’t do, and you have to let go of the idea that you can be better alone because you can never fight those mental and emotional battles on your own. Accept that you are not that strong enough to handle everything. Be true to yourself. You know that the constant pep talks with your inner self will not work because you genuinely understand your need for help. Stop pretending that you are okay because you know you’re not. It’s okay not to be okay. The world is never flawless, so you don’t have to deal with uncertainties. It is about time that you stop saying “I’m okay” and consider changing it to “I need help.”

Given that these conditions are currently haunting you, you have to realize that your mental and emotional weakness does not define who you are. Think about it. Deeply evaluate your thoughts and emotions. After that, ask yourself if you are genuinely okay.

 

Reasons Why Therapist Encourages People To Share Mental Health Struggles

Talking about mental health struggles is not something that every individual can openly do. Some are way too drawn to their mental and emotional capabilities that they do not want others to interfere with self-healing. On the other hand, others are too weak even to share small details of their mental health problems. We know that both these situations must be addressed because they can cause a lot of damage over time. People should learn the importance of reaching out for support for any mental and emotional health challenges. But why should they work on better expressing their thoughts and feelings? Here are some reasons why therapists encourage people to share what they are going through emotionally and mentally.

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Reaching Out For Support

Of course, the main reason people should talk about mental health struggles is to gather support. Mentally and emotionally unstable individuals often find themselves unable to cope with their health issues’ symptoms and negative effects. They are often afraid of confiding to the wrong people that they hide their true feelings to themselves. They ignore their need for encouragement and motivation; thus, they do not immediately get better.

But we can’t blame these people for not sharing what they are going through. Sometimes, they are not that confident and are too sensitive to talk about their mental and emotional struggles. So instead of forcing them to reach out, it would be best to give them space and time to open up. They must maintain engaging with positive individuals to create more intimacy and connectedness that can help them build skills for coping and resilience.

Increasing Connectedness And Purpose

Another reason why people should share their mental and emotional health experiences is for connectedness. Sometimes, people tell others what they are going through, not because they want them to do something or help them carry on. Instead, these mentally and emotionally unstable individuals only want others to listen to their stories. They do not require others to participate in the healing process because being there and listening to them is already enough.

Sharing relates to a better connection with others. It builds a sense of common purpose, making people appreciate and work together with similar mental health challenges. It helps individuals to get to know their abilities in handling difficult situations as well. Sharing also supports making friends, finding better resources, and lightening loads of human responsibilities.

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Raising Awareness And Breaking The Stigma

Sharing is entirely related to raising awareness. Since there are so many negative things about mental and emotional health that people do not know of, sharing serves as everyone’s edge to better understanding. With sharing, mentally and emotionally unstable individuals provide information that others can use as a guideline to check with their personal experiences. Sharing can be very beneficial in promoting an open discussion about specific psychological issues related to self-harm, suicide, and trauma.

Mental and emotional health can be debilitating, and for some individuals, it can be a life-changing struggle. And since not everyone is well-known for the signs and symptoms of these conditions, there is the possibility that isolation, judgment, and unreasonable behavior become acceptable. Thus, sharing is important as it introduces people to new treatments and solutions to stigmatized conditions.

Moving Forward To Self-Acceptance

A shared mental health struggle defines people’s ability to see a bigger picture. It supports a change in perspective gathered from different opinions and views. Though sometimes, this can be unnecessary, there is still a great benefit to sharing that makes individuals move closer to overall healing. Sharing opens up opportunities to understand things that are often ignored. It makes people dive in more to self-reflection and better mood regulation.

Sharing life struggles can be tough due to the possible buildup of depressive symptoms. The imbalance can cause desires to be approved by others, increases fear of failure, and creates self-criticism. But on a brighter note, it also guarantees an increase in positive emotions. It supports autonomy, self-worth, confidence, and a sense of freedom.

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Helping People Get Better

The best part of sharing mental health struggles is the overflowing support from others who truly care and understand. The positive energy that people provide these unstable individuals increases their well-being and self-importance. It motivates them to feel and get better because they know that others are working hard to do everything for their overall recovery. The whole purpose of sharing is to empower those unstable individuals to help them help themselves.

People benefit from sharing their stories as it nurtures them with positivity. It makes them reflect on their journey and think about how they should overcome life’s stressful challenges. Of course, the whole process can be extremely exhausting. But when mentally and emotionally unstable people know that they can always find someone they feel comfortable to flex their vulnerabilities with, it almost leaves them not feeling drained.