The Slippery Devil: Mental Health An Introduction

To introduce myself, I’ll start with some quick facts. My name is Arizona Widener, and yes, I was born in Arizona. I am a wife, mother, college student, reader, writer, survivor, and more. My life is not quite average, yet not entirely substantial. I juggle life around my household duties, being a mom, writing my books, being a wife, and juggling an amalgam of mental and physical health problems while advocating for mental health. My childhood has blessed me with many mental health diagnoses. I believe my personal life experiences qualify me to talk about all of this. So let it say that my life has nothing exceedingly extraordinary. I am not a doctor, a lawyer, an actor, or many other big titles. Instead, I try to create a relatable, safe, and informative world within my blog. I hope those who read my blogs will realize they are not alone and welcome.

What is Mental Health?

To start, I am not medically qualified and will not be offering any medical advice or directions. If this is what you want, I’d advise you to seek a qualified medical service or person to help you with this. This blog is educational, based on my personal experiences, other interviews, written fiction stories about mental illness, my opinions, and my analysis of many things regarding mental health.

So, no, I am not a professional. All I am is a person like you, struggling to get through the day. I have suffered at the hands of many forms of abuse that left me with significant trauma, leading to many mental illnesses and misdiagnoses. However, I have learned things that I hope can help, inform, or give you a safe place to relate to or discuss your thoughts. Though there are things that I have learned, there are still things I am struggling with. Progress and self-transformation are lifelong journeys; You can continuously improve. It’s not easy, not in the least. So here are a few common questions about mental health:

1. What is mental health? Well, it is the invisible illness that occupies the mind. It brings many things in its wake: worrying, self-doubt, impulsivity, suicidal thoughts, avoiding friends and society, staying in bed all day, and losing interest in everyday things you enjoy. This is common in our world, yet the subject itself is taboo. There is a stigmatism around mental health; many find it weak, non-existent, or shameful. This is simply not true. Mental illness is not a plague nor weak or shameful. It can be hereditary, trauma-related, other health issues can bring on mental illnesses, and it can be terrible and a good thing. It overwhelms some people, making it feel it will not get any better; others find it makes them who they are and use it to their advantage. Neither is better than the other. Here, within this space, you are allowed and encouraged to feel how you want, regardless of those around you who disagree. Here are two resources that go into the common questions of mental health:

• Why is mental health essential? Why does it matter? These are important questions, just as the answers are to break the controversy around mental health within our society. Historically, mental health was evil, taboo, weak, and unclean. So, why is it important? Because all of those things are stigmatizations of mental illness. They are not true. Knowing the truth about mental illness can expand your world to a wholly unique point of view. Depression, anxiety, and mood swings can affect other aspects of your life, like work, relationships, motivation, will, and physical. Knowing about mental health helps your body. It matters because it affects who you are and how you survive in the world.

What do I mean by all of this? It’s simple. It is okay to feel how you feel; alright to be upset, angry, depressed, or anxious. That is not a fault, just how your mind processes emotions and trauma. It doesn’t degrade you, and you certainly don’t deserve it. It’s okay to be who you are. I will not tell you, “It gets better,” “It’s all in God’s plan,” and/or “This is a punishment for something you did in a past life.” These statements are more harmful than others know, invalidating our emotions. Let us hope we don’t have to stay here, that we can get past it, that it is a storm that will pass, or that the coping mechanisms work. By learning about mental health, you learn to cope, respond to and respect those around you with mental illness, and give yourself kindness, care, and validation. By learning about mental health, you expand your mind to the issues that others face under the surface of their skin, deep within their subconscious.

I hope you can find a bit of peace and acceptance here. I will tell you I am not here to give you false inspiration. Saying “it will go away” or “you’ll get over it” is not cathartic. They can be downright triggering. Trauma is a broad scope that can range from anything and amount in levels of severity. Brushing off someone’s mental illness as “solvable,” “curable,” or “not that bad” are not helpful. I wish to bring you peace here, a safe place to talk and learn about mental illness. Struggling with mental illness is difficult; We don’t have to do it alone.

Know this: there is no shame in being different, learning, or feeling different. There is no shame in asking or seeking help. I will discuss all kinds of topics with you here, whether it be books, music, personal stories, moves, informational and educational, and so many more that revolve around or depict mental illness. I hope these topics guide you to relieve some o the stress and loneliness you may feel.

So, hello. This is my blog, Pheonix oin Flames, and I am here to take you on a wild ride through reality. The reality of mental illness. That is all for now. I welcome you to my site and my blog. Invite your friends, family, and others who struggle to cope or need to learn about mental illness. Welcome, everyone.